S. 3403 — Building Resilience and Stronger Communities Act

This section establishes exceptions to the standard 75% federal cost share under the predisaster hazard mitigation program (i.e., grants from the National Public Infrastructure Predisaster Mitigation Fund for cost-effective measures to reduce injuries, loss of life, and property damage, including to critical services and facilities). Specifically, it (1) requires a minimum 90% federal share for mitigation activities costing less than $1 million; and (2) authorizes more than 90% federal share for such small projects involving critical facilities (i.e., buildings essential for vital services or community protection, including emergency operation centers, healthcare facilities, police or fire stations, schools, and power stations).

This section requires the President to establish a predisaster hazard mitigation program providing technical and financial assistance to States and local governments for cost-effective measures to reduce injuries, loss of life, and property damage, including to critical infrastructure (previously discretionary under subsection (b)). It further requires the President to provide such assistance from the National Public Infrastructure Predisaster Mitigation Fund to qualifying States and local governments that have identified hazards and demonstrated public-private partnerships (previously discretionary under subsection (c)).

This section revises the National Public Infrastructure Predisaster Mitigation Fund (funding source for predisaster hazard mitigation assistance to States and local governments) by (1) requiring the President to establish it ("shall" from "may"), and (2) setting its amount at not less than 3 percent and not more than a specified level ("that is not less than 3 percent and not more than" for "equal to").

This section expands eligibility for technical and financial assistance under the Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation program (42 U.S.C. 5133)—which supports state and local governments in developing hazard mitigation plans and implementing projects to reduce losses from future disasters—to include Indian tribes alongside states and local governments. Specifically, it (1) inserts references to Indian tribes throughout subsections (b) through (e); (2) in subsection (d)(2), adds that Indian tribes may access assistance through direct selection by the President, a state governor's recommendation, or a tribal set-aside of funds; (3) in subsection (e), adds that assistance to Indian tribes must be used for direct technical assistance to improve resilience to natural hazards, build mitigation programs, develop high-quality applications, and carry out innovative mitigation projects; and (4) adds subsection (m) defining "Indian Tribe" by reference to 25 U.S.C. 5304 (i.e., any federally recognized Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group, including Alaska Native villages and corporations).