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119-hr-9557119th CongressWALLET

Ounce of Prevention Act

Sponsored By: Representative Liccardo, Sam T. [D-CA-16]

Introduced

Summary

Allows Community Development Block Grant funds to be used for natural disaster mitigation activities. The Ounce of Prevention Act would add disaster mitigation as an explicit eligible purpose under the Housing and Community Development Act and require risk-based planning and HUD rulemaking within one year.

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  • Families and communities: Local areas could fund projects that lower the long-term risk of loss of life, injury, and property damage from weather-related disasters. Eligible mitigation can include new construction and rehabilitation when a grantee meets the bill's risk and planning conditions.
  • Local governments and grantees: Grants could be used for mitigation if a consolidated plan states the grantee is in a high-risk area and the Secretary certifies risk using FEMA's National Risk Index or a state natural hazard index.
  • Program rules and treatment: Housing units assisted under mitigation may be treated as a single structure for national objective rules and exempt from aggregate public benefit limits.
  • Implementation: HUD would have to provide technical assistance and issue rules within one year to recognize mitigation as an urgent community development need and to update national-object criteria.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More local disaster mitigation grants

If enacted, the bill would let Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money pay for natural disaster mitigation work. Local grantees could use CDBG for new construction and rehab aimed at reducing disaster risk, but only if the grantee’s consolidated plan says the area is high-risk and HUD certifies that risk using either the FEMA National Risk Index or a State natural hazard index. The consolidated plan must also describe how the activities will address mitigation needs. HUD would have to issue rules within one year to treat mitigation as an urgent community need and to recognize documented weather-related hazards as a serious immediate threat. HUD would also have to give technical assistance to grantees, define what counts as mitigation activities, and let grantees treat housing units in such projects as a single structure and exempt them from aggregate public-benefit limits.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Liccardo, Sam T. [D-CA-16]

CA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Timmons, William R. [R-SC-4]

    SC • R

    Sponsored 6/30/2026

  • Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2]

    HI • D

    Sponsored 6/30/2026

  • Rep. Salazar, Maria Elvira [R-FL-27]

    FL • R

    Sponsored 6/30/2026

  • Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7]

    CO • D

    Sponsored 7/13/2026

  • Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]

    NY • R

    Sponsored 7/13/2026

  • Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29]

    TX • D

    Sponsored 9/3/2026

  • Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]

    PA • R

    Sponsored 9/3/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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