H.R. 5650 — Weatherization Resilience and Adaptation Program Act

This section states congressional findings that human-accelerated climate change is increasing global temperatures and extreme weather events, which disproportionately harm frontline and low-income communities through hazards such as flooding, fire, heat, wind, and drought, and that many households cannot afford resilience and adaptation measures for their homes and property.

This section establishes definitions for purposes of the Act, including (1) "climate change" as long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns; (2) "climate-driven hazards" as hazards such as floods, wildfires, landslides, extreme heat, extreme wind, and atmospheric rivers that have increased frequency and human, economic, and ecological impacts; (3) "Director" as the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology; (4) "eligible program participant" as a state, federally recognized Indian tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization; (5) "eligible property owner" as a low-income property owner, an owner of property with a housing affordability restriction or covenant lasting at least five years after receiving funds, an owner of a multifamily dwelling where more than 50% of units have rent subsidized under a covered housing program (as listed in 34 U.S.C. 12491(a)(3)), or an owner of a manufactured home community; (6) "low-income" as income at or below 300% of the poverty level (with flexibility for higher thresholds); (7) "manufactured home" as defined in 42 U.S.C. 5402(6); (8) "natural solutions" as property adaptations imitating ecological functions to mitigate climate-driven hazards; (9) "resilience and adaptation standards" as guidelines for mitigating climate hazards in dwellings and surrounding property; (10) "Secretary" as the Secretary of the Interior; and (11) "State" to include the District of Columbia and U.S. territories or possessions.

This section directs the Secretary to establish, not later than 180 days after enactment, a grant program to award grants to eligible program participants for subawarding to eligible property owners for dwelling and property adaptations to withstand climate-driven hazards. Eligible program participants must apply with descriptions of proposed activities, prioritization of property owners by disaster risk and means, fund use reporting, and other information; use an online smartphone-accessible application system alongside paper forms; award subgrants only for resilience activities (including accessibility modifications) in high-risk climate hazard areas and conduct outreach on structural improvements; limit administrative and outreach costs to 15% of funds; and impose no additional eligibility or procedural burdens. For multifamily buildings, eligible program participants may require owner financial participation and must condition awards on tenant protections, including comparable relocation housing with right of return for displaced residents and no rent increases for two years (unless pre-stipulated). Eligible property owners must use subgrants for building or asset modifications or natural solutions to adapt land.

This section directs the Secretary to promulgate regulations to implement the Act not later than 180 days after enactment, in consultation with the Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services, the Administrators of the Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other relevant agency heads as determined by the Secretary. The regulations must (1) prescribe resilience and adaptation standards in coordination with the Director; (2) provide guidance to eligible program participants on implementation; (3) establish audits and annual reporting requirements to verify timely, effective, and compliant use of grant funds; and (4) develop and publicly release performance targets, including annual spending thresholds from fund obligation to full expenditure.

This section directs the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop and publish resilience and adaptation standards on the NIST website not later than one year after enactment of this Act, after consultation with relevant federal departments and agencies and private sector organizations as the Director determines appropriate. The standards must take into consideration (1) the cost of building materials, (2) fair labor standards, (3) variation in impacts of climate change, geographical and topographical location, and pre-existing weatherization projects, and (4) natural solutions.

This section authorizes appropriations to carry out the Act: (1) $250 million to the Secretary for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031; and (2) $2 million to the Director for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028.