Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025
Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025 - Plain Language Summary **What the Bill Does** This bill would give local governments more flexibility in choosing which building codes to use when they receive federal disaster resilience funding. Currently, communities must adopt the very latest building codes to qualify for federal grants and loans from FEMA's resilience programs. The bill would allow them to use either the current building code or the previous edition instead. It would also create a pilot program to help homeowners retrofit their homes to be more resilient to disasters. **Who It Affects and Key Details** Local governments and homeowners would be the primary beneficiaries.
Cities and towns could choose older building code standards while still accessing federal BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant money and low-interest loans from the Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund. Supporters argue this gives communities more options, while the change could mean using standards that are slightly less up-to-date. The bill is currently in committee and has not yet been voted on by Congress.
CRS Official Summary
Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025This bill authorizes local governments to implement the previous edition of building codes with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) programs. It also establishes a pilot program for residential resilience retrofits under the BRIC program.Under current law, local governments may use funding provided under the BRIC and Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF programs to establish and carry out the latest published editions of relevant building codes and standards. The bill allows local governments to use BRIC grant funding to carry out the latest two published editions (i.e., either the current edition of a building code or the previous edition) and requires BRIC to consider adoption of either of the latest two editions when determining whether to provide assistance. The bill also allows local governments to use loan funding from the Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF program for implementing the latest two published editions of building codes, including amendments government entities make to such codes.Additionally, the bill establishes under the BRIC program a pilot program for states and local governments to provide grants to individuals for residential resilience retrofits (i.e., projects that increase a home’s resilience to natural hazards). To provide this assistance, FEMA may use up to 10% of the assistance made available to BRIC applicants annually. The pilot program terminates at the end of FY2028.
Latest Action
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 273.