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Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022
4/17/2024, 11:45 PM
Summary of Bill HR 7242
The key provisions of the bill include the creation of a grant program to provide funding for projects that enhance disaster resilience in designated zones. These projects could include infrastructure improvements, community education and training programs, and the development of emergency response plans. The bill also calls for the establishment of a task force to oversee the program and ensure that resources are being allocated effectively.
Additionally, the bill emphasizes the importance of collaboration between federal, state, and local governments, as well as community organizations and private sector partners, in order to maximize the impact of the program. It also highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to disaster resilience that takes into account the unique needs and challenges of each community. Overall, the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022 aims to strengthen the ability of communities to withstand and recover from disasters, ultimately reducing the impact on lives and property. The bill is currently being considered by Congress and has garnered bipartisan support for its focus on proactive disaster preparedness and response.
Congressional Summary of HR 7242
Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022
This bill requires the President to continue to maintain a natural hazard assessment program that develops and maintains publicly available products to show the risk of natural hazards across the United States.
Such products shall show the risk of natural hazards and include ratings and data for loss exposure, social vulnerability, community resilience, and any other element determined by the President.
The President shall (1) review the underlying methodology of any product that is a natural disaster hazard risk assessment, and (2) consider including additional data in any product that is a natural hazard risk assessment. Additionally, the President must conduct such reviews to evaluate and update the assessments at least every five years.
Using the reviewed assessments, the President must periodically identify and designate community disaster resilience zones (CDRZs), which shall be (1) the 50 census tracts assigned the highest individual hazard risk ratings; and (2) in each state, not less than 1% of census tracts that are assigned a high individual risk rating, taking into consideration specified geographic balance.
The President may provide financial, technical, or other assistance to an eligible entity (a state, Indian tribal government, or local government) that plans to perform a resilience or mitigation project within, or that primarily benefits, a CDRZ.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must develop criteria (taking into consideration the economic effects) to assess damage caused by a harmful algal bloom and report to Congress describing such criteria.
