Environment (Natural Disasters)

This bill mandates a 12-month study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to analyze the feasibility of a federal program that would buy properties from homeowners in high-risk wildfire areas before or after disasters. The study must examine existing buyout programs, develop definitions for terms like "disadvantaged community," and recommend how to implement such a program, including land use after buyouts and eligibility mapping. It does not create a new program or provide immediate relief but requires a report to Congress within one year detailing findings and cost analysis. The bill directly affects future policy decisions, not current homeowners.

Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations Act or the ACERO Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations (ACERO) project. The ACERO project conducts research and development activities regarding aerial response to wildfires using uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and other advanced aviation technologies. It is administered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  The bill directs the ACERO project to address airspace management and deconfliction during wildfire response efforts, including through real-time information sharing among response teams and the development of a platform to provide situational awareness of aerial assets. The bill also directs the ACERO project to establish a multiagency concept of operations to facilitate the coordination of aerial wildfire response among federal, state, and local government agencies. NASA must consult with other federal agencies and departments to avoid duplication of these efforts.  NASA generally may not procure UAS manufactured or assembled by specified foreign entities, including entities domiciled in or controlled by China, for use by the ACERO project.

S 374 (Direct Property Acquisitions Act) establishes a 48-month pilot program allowing selected local governments to apply directly to FEMA for disaster mitigation funds - specifically for buying flood-prone properties or demolishing homes - instead of through their state governments. It affects only "covered communities" (local governments meeting FEMA criteria for self-sufficiency in hazard mitigation, with state approval and demonstrated need). The program requires FEMA to select no more than two communities per FEMA region (max one per state), provide written justification for selections, and submit annual reports to Congress evaluating the pilot’s impact on processing speed and potential long-term changes. The pilot expires 8 years after selection, with no guarantee of permanent adoption.

HR 3661, the Extreme Weather and Heat Response Modernization Act, requires FEMA to review and update how it defines "incident periods" (timeframes for disaster response) for extreme weather events. Within one year, FEMA must form an advisory panel with diverse emergency management representatives to assess current procedures, particularly for slow-onset, compound, or cascading disasters, and submit findings to Congress. The bill also mandates FEMA to issue new guidance on community cooling centers, resilience centers, and extreme heat/cold mitigation projects within a year, and conduct a study on impacts to vulnerable communities, infrastructure, and emergency alerts. These changes directly affect FEMA, state/local emergency managers, and communities facing extreme heat or cold events by modernizing response protocols and funding eligibility.

This bill amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief Act to allow Indian tribal governments to directly request fire management assistance grants from FEMA for wildfires, rather than requiring state authorization. It specifically adds tribal governments as eligible recipients in the law and permits their chief executives to submit requests directly to FEMA, bypassing state governors. The bill also requires the President to issue new regulations within one year, clarifying that tribal governments can receive assistance either directly or through state-authorized requests, while preserving existing eligibility pathways. This change directly affects tribal governments facing wildfire disasters by streamlining access to federal disaster aid.

This bill increases federal funding for disaster resilience projects. It requires the federal government to cover at least 90% of costs for small hazard prevention projects under $1 million and potentially more than 90% for critical facilities like hospitals, schools, and emergency centers. The bill also makes hazard mitigation planning mandatory for states and local governments (changing "may" to "shall") and ensures Indian Tribes can directly access funds or apply through states for resilience projects. These changes apply to all eligible communities and tribes receiving federal disaster relief under the Stafford Act.

HR 2907, the Save BRIC Act, aims to reinstate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program by amending the Stafford Act to require communities to use federal disaster mitigation funds for proactive resilience projects. It directly affects communities that lost over $4 billion in BRIC grants after the program's 2025 cancellation, mandating that these funds be used for activities like elevating flood-prone structures, hardening buildings, and planning to reduce disaster impacts. The bill cites evidence that every $1 invested in pre-disaster mitigation saves up to $13 in recovery costs, reversing the previous policy that allowed grant clawbacks.

This bill excludes certain state-funded payments for disaster-resistant property improvements from taxable income. Homeowners who receive payments from state programs to make upgrades (like reinforcing roofs against windstorms or elevating homes to reduce flood damage) will not have those amounts counted as taxable income. The law specifically covers payments for "qualified catastrophe mitigation payments" made to reduce damage from windstorms, earthquakes, floods, or wildfires. It applies to payments received under state-established programs, including those managed by state insurance agencies or entities ensuring property insurance markets.

This bill reauthorizes the National Landslide Preparedness Act through 2030, updating definitions and expanding program requirements. It adds specific definitions for "atmospheric river," "atmospheric river flooding event," and "extreme precipitation event" to guide risk assessments. Key provisions require the Secretary to assess risks from these events in the national strategy, expand eligibility for grants to include Tribal organizations and Native Hawaiian groups, and dedicate $10 million of the $35 million total funding for landslide early warning systems in high-risk areas. The bill directly affects federal agencies (USGS, Commerce), state/local governments, tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and communities facing landslide hazards.

HR 1923, the Modernizing Wildfire Safety and Prevention Act of 2025, establishes training programs for wildfire professionals and improves retirement benefits for firefighters. It creates a National Smoke Monitoring and Alert System to protect public health during wildfire events and requires payment for wildfire recovery programs within 90 days of application approval. These provisions directly affect federal firefighters, wildfire response organizations, and communities in wildfire-prone areas. The bill also includes mechanisms for workforce development, casualty assistance, and data sharing to enhance wildfire management and public safety.