Preventing Our Next Natural Disaster Act
Sponsored By: Representative Swalwell
In Committee
Summary
Prioritizes climate-ready predisaster mitigation and directs more federal help to high-risk and disadvantaged communities. It raises federal support, improves data and outreach, and pushes mitigation projects to be built for future flood, fire, and other climate risks.
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- Families and residents in high-hazard and environmental justice communities could see more mitigation projects funded and designed for future climate threats. The President may cover up to 90% of a mitigation activity's cost in small impoverished or environmental justice communities.
- Local governments and community planners gain a bigger predisaster mitigation pool because the bill raises the baseline from 6% to 15% of the Disaster Relief Fund for predisaster mitigation.
- Community groups and applicants get more help from FEMA through technical assistance and outreach partnerships with organizations like the Cooperative Extension System to boost grant applications and project management.
- Planners, researchers, and policymakers get better tools because the bill requires a central federal database within three years to map and evaluate disaster and mitigation spending by project type, hazard, and census tract.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More FEMA money to prevent disasters
This bill would raise the share of disaster funds set aside for prevention to 15%, up from 6%. For each major disaster, that money would come from the Disaster Relief Fund. It would also let up to 2% of certain FEMA grants be used for community planning and capacity building. That 2% would come out of the 15% prevention set‑aside.
Climate-smart rules and a funding map
FEMA could issue guidance to build climate change into risk tools, cost‑benefit tests, and building standards. This guidance could ask that funded projects be designed for future floods, wildfires, and other hazards. FEMA would also have to create, within three years, a central database that combines disaster and mitigation funding from many agencies. It would sort projects by type, funding source, and hazard, and include a user‑friendly database and interactive map with census‑tract and demographic data. FEMA would post project evaluations that look at spending and savings from good mitigation.
More help for high-risk communities
The bill would define which places count as high hazard risk, environmental justice, and small impoverished (50,000 people or fewer and economically disadvantaged). FEMA would have to prioritize help for these areas, plus places with low tax revenue per person and weak code adoption or infrastructure upkeep. The President could cover up to 90% of a mitigation project’s cost in small impoverished or environmental justice communities. FEMA would set clear, measurable rules for who gets priority and use tools like the National Risk Index to target help. FEMA would also work with groups like the Cooperative Extension System to help these communities plan projects and apply for grants.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Swalwell
CA • D
Cosponsors
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 1/15/2025
Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/4/2025
Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/31/2025
Mullin
CA • D
Sponsored 6/26/2025
Rep. Case, Ed [D-HI-1]
HI • D
Sponsored 9/10/2025
Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1]
MO • D
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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