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Preventing Our Next Natural Disaster Act

12/15/2023, 3:58 PM

Summary of Bill HR 3655

Bill 118 hr 3655, also known as the Preventing Our Next Natural Disaster Act, is a piece of legislation currently being considered by the US Congress. The main goal of this bill is to improve the country's preparedness and response to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, wildfires, and floods.

One key provision of the bill is the establishment of a National Disaster Resilience Grant Program, which would provide funding to states and localities to invest in infrastructure projects that would help mitigate the impact of natural disasters. This could include things like building stronger levees, improving drainage systems, and updating building codes to make structures more resilient to extreme weather events.

Another important aspect of the bill is the creation of a National Disaster Recovery Task Force, which would be responsible for coordinating the federal government's response to natural disasters and ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively. This task force would work closely with state and local governments, as well as non-profit organizations and private sector partners, to streamline the recovery process and help communities rebuild in a more resilient way. Overall, the Preventing Our Next Natural Disaster Act aims to address the growing threat of natural disasters in the United States by investing in proactive measures to reduce risk and improve response capabilities. By taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to disaster preparedness and recovery, this bill has the potential to save lives, protect property, and strengthen the country's resilience in the face of future challenges.

Congressional Summary of HR 3655

Preventing Our Next Natural Disaster Act

This bill modifies the pre-disaster mitigation grant program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Specifically, the bill

  • increases FEMA's set-aside for pre-disaster mitigation assistance from 6% to 15% of certain grant amounts;
  • provides for a 2% set-aside for community planning and capacity building assistance; and
  • authorizes FEMA to develop guidance regarding how to incorporate climate change into the National Risk Index, cost-benefit analyses, and improved codes, specifications, and standards to address natural hazards.

FEMA must

  • prioritize applicants for assistance with the highest hazard risk in coordination with FEMA's National Risk Index, environmental justice communities, and low-income communities (current law covers the latter though this bill modifies the number of individuals in such communities);
  • provide community outreach; and
  • establish a central federal database to consolidate funding data collected by all local, state, and federal agencies involved in post-disaster response and pre-disaster mitigation spending and categorize the data by type of project, funding source, and hazard types using a user-friendly database and interactive map.

Current Status of Bill HR 3655

Bill HR 3655 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since May 24, 2023. Bill HR 3655 was introduced during Congress 118 and was introduced to the House on May 24, 2023.  Bill HR 3655's most recent activity was Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management. as of May 25, 2023

Bipartisan Support of Bill HR 3655

Total Number of Sponsors
1
Democrat Sponsors
1
Republican Sponsors
0
Unaffiliated Sponsors
0
Total Number of Cosponsors
6
Democrat Cosponsors
4
Republican Cosponsors
2
Unaffiliated Cosponsors
0

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill HR 3655

Primary Policy Focus

Emergency Management

Potential Impact Areas

- Air quality
- Building construction
- Climate change and greenhouse gases
- Community life and organization
- Disaster relief and insurance
- Emergency planning and evacuation
- Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
- Executive agency funding and structure
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Government lending and loan guarantees
- Government studies and investigations
- Intergovernmental relations
- Natural disasters
- Refugees, asylum, displaced persons

Alternate Title(s) of Bill HR 3655

Preventing Our Next Natural Disaster Act
Preventing Our Next Natural Disaster Act
To enhance predisaster mitigation to prevent future natural disasters, and for other purposes.

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