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<title>Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 207 (Tuesday, December 9, 2025)</title>
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[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 9, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S8579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [<a href="https://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
By Mr. REED (for himself and Ms. Murkowski):
S. 3403. A bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act to require the President to provide assistance
for predisaster hazard mitigation measures and adjust the Federal cost
share for certain building resilient infrastructure and communities
projects, and for other projects; to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs.
Mr. REED. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Building
Resilience and Stronger Communities Act, along with Senator Murkowski
of Alaska. Our bipartisan bill would reinstate the Building Resilient
Infrastructure and Communities, BRIC Program at the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, FEMA, and protect it against elimination in the
future. It would also make it easier for smaller communities to access
funding by increasing the Federal cost-share for small projects and for
projects that protect critical facilities, and it would ensure that
Tribes will be able to access funding under the program.
Established by Congress in the Disaster Recovery Reform Act and
signed into law by President Trump in 2018, BRIC serves as FEMA's
primary predisaster mitigation program. Since 2020, FEMA has awarded
more than $4.5 billion in BRIC funding to help communities across the
country strengthen their resilience efforts. Through BRIC, local
governments have been able to carry out essential projects such as
elevating at-risk infrastructure, reinforcing bridges, or improving
drainage systems. These projects not only protect vital infrastructure
and in turn, homes and businesses but also create jobs and ensure that
communities can continue to function in the aftermath of natural
disasters.
Rather than waiting for costly recovery efforts after a disaster, the
BRIC Program helps communities prepare in advance--reducing disaster
impacts, promoting long-term safety, and saving taxpayer dollars
through proactive investment. Indeed, various studies have found that
for every $1 spent on resilience and preparedness, communities save
between $13 and $18 in damages, cleanup costs, and economic impact.
Despite the BRIC Program's demonstrated benefits under both
Democratic and Republican administrations, the Trump administration
abruptly canceled the program in April 2025, claiming it was ``wasteful
and ineffective.'' Regrettably, FEMA did not take steps to improve the
program or reinstate funding. Our bill addresses these issues by
reestablishing the program, opening it to a broader array of mitigation
projects in smaller and Tribal communities, and making it easier to
access funds to protect critical facilities--including healthcare
facilities, police and fire stations, schools, and power stations.
These are commonsense reforms that will help improve BRIC and save
taxpayers billions of dollars in disaster recovery payments in the
future.
I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this bipartisan
legislation.
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