The Save BRIC Act would amend Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to make predisaster hazard mitigation assistance mandatory rather than discretionary. In other words, it would require the President (and FEMA) to provide pre-disaster mitigation funding and support for measures that reduce loss from future disasters, rather than allowing such assistance to be optional. The bill cites a broad rationale for proactive resilience—protecting life and property, lowering disaster recovery costs, and expanding mitigation activities to include things like floodproofing, building hardening against extreme weather, heat mitigation, and planning. It frames these actions as cost-effective and aims to restore or reinforce a BRIC-like program for prior mitigation, though the measure does not specify funding levels. The overall aim is to reduce exposure to disasters by investing in resilience before events occur.
Key Points
- 1Mandatory predisaster mitigation: Subsections (b) and (c) of Section 203 would change from “may” to “shall,” making federal predisaster mitigation assistance a required, not optional, obligation.
- 2Short title: The act is called the Save Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Act (Save BRIC Act).
- 3Rationale and findings: The bill presents findings about the benefits of predisaster mitigation (including life/property protection, risk identification, and economic savings) and cites 2024 disaster costs, broader mitigation activities, and the BRIC program’s history as justification.
- 4Broad scope of mitigation activities: The bill emphasizes a wide range of mitigation efforts—planning, elevating or relocating flood-prone structures, reducing heat-related risks, and hardening infrastructure against hurricanes or earthquakes.
- 5Budget and implementation: While it makes mitigation assistance mandatory, the bill does not specify funding amounts; implementation would depend on appropriations and program authorities, potentially affecting federal spending and budgeting priorities.