FEMA would place greater emphasis on pre-disaster planning under approved House bill

The House of Representatives approved legislation last week that would reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to place a greater emphasis on pre-disaster planning and mitigation.

The bill, the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), was approved as part of a larger emergency disaster aid package. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved DRRA in November.

“This bipartisan bill will ensure our communities are more resilient and create incentives to build better and build smarter,” U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA), the chairman of the committee, said. “Ultimately, this bill will save lives and taxpayer dollars.”

DRRA aims to promote disaster mitigation activities like elevating structures in flood zones and hardening structures to protect against hurricanes and earthquakes.

U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), the author of the bill, cites studies that show every $1 invested in disaster mitigation activities can save up to $8 in avoided disaster recovery costs down the road.

“The Disaster Recovery Reform Act allows U.S. taxpayers to realize those savings by revolutionizing how we approach disaster spending,” Barletta said. “We will now place a premium on saving lives and taxpayer dollars by investing in resilient infrastructure on the front end to protect our neighborhoods, schools, religious institutions, and businesses.”