Murkowski Introduces Legislation to Boost Resilience & Build Stronger Communities
Washington, D.C. – In an effort to make it easier for communities across the nation to better protect critical, at-risk infrastructure and community assets from worsening natural disasters, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Jack Reed (D-RI) have introduced a bill that would reinstate the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and protect it against elimination in the future.
The Building Resilience and Stronger Communities Act reestablishes BRIC and makes key changes to amplify the local impact of federal investments made through the program and ensure Tribal eligibility.
Established by Congress in the Disaster Recovery Reform Act and signed into law by President Trump in 2018, BRIC serves as FEMA’s primary pre-disaster mitigation program. Congress further bolstered the program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In April, the Trump Administration announced the abrupt cancellation of the BRIC program.
“In 2018, President Trump signed legislation creating the BRIC program because he recognized that strengthening our communities before disaster strikes is far more cost-effective than recovering after one,” said Senator Murkowski. “In Alaska, we’ve seen increasingly volatile and severe weather events threaten communities across the state, from landslides in the Southeast to typhoons in the western part of the state. Restoring the BRIC program will allow us to make strategic investments in critical infrastructure that enhance the resilience of our communities, effectively use taxpayer dollars, and ultimately save American lives.”
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. When it comes to disaster preparedness, every dollar we proactively invest in boosting the resilience of our communities helps us save big in the long-term,” said Senator Reed. “This bipartisan legislation will reinstate the BRIC program and make it easier for Rhode Island’s towns and cities of all sizes to leverage federal funds for projects that better protect their community assets, homes, and businesses and save taxpayer dollars.”
Since 2020, BRIC has directed more than $4.5 billion in federal investments that have helped communities and Tribes across the country prepare for natural disasters, reduce the impacts of hazards, promote long-term safety, and better steward taxpayer funds through proactive and wise investments. Through BRIC, local governments, and Tribes have been able to carry out essential projects such as elevating at-risk infrastructure, reinforcing bridges, and improving drainage systems.
The legislation introduced by Senators Murkowski and Reed will make it easier for small communities and Tribes to leverage BRIC funding. Commonsense reforms in the bill include increasing the federal cost-share for small projects and for efforts to protect critical facilities like hospitals, schools, police and fire stations, and power stations. The bill also expands eligibility to ensure tribal governments can access funding.
A copy of the legislation can be viewed here.
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