S. 388 — Promoting Resilient Buildings Act

This section revises the definitions subsection of the predisaster hazard mitigation program by changing its heading to "Definitions," adding a definition of "latest published editions" (i.e., the two most recently published editions of relevant consensus-based codes, specifications, and standards) as paragraph (1), and redesignating the existing definition of "small impoverished community" as paragraph (2).

This section revises subsection (f) of the hazard mitigation revolving loan fund program by (1) striking paragraph (5); and (2) redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), and (8) as paragraphs (5), (6), and (7), respectively.

This section establishes a residential resilience pilot program under the predisaster hazard mitigation program (42 U.S.C. 5133), under which the FEMA Administrator provides assistance to states and local governments for grants to individuals for residential resilient retrofits (i.e., projects such as home elevations, floodproofing, tornado safe rooms, seismic retrofits, wildfire measures, and wind retrofits that increase home resilience to local disaster hazards and align with consensus-based codes). The Administrator may use up to 10% of annual assistance available under that program for the pilot, which must be established within one year of enactment and terminates on September 30, 2030; priority goes to individuals demonstrating financial need; and the Administrator must submit a report to specified congressional committees four years after enactment detailing awards, results, cost savings compared to other mitigation projects, and recommendations. (As background, the predisaster hazard mitigation program provides grants to states and local governments for cost-effective measures to reduce injuries, loss of life, and property damage from disasters.) The provision applies only to amounts appropriated on or after enactment.

This section provides a rule of construction limiting the Act and its amendments to the predisaster hazard mitigation program (42 U.S.C. 5133) and the hazard mitigation revolving loan fund program (42 U.S.C. 5135).