Promoting Resilient Buildings Act

S. 388, the Promoting Resilient Buildings Act, would amend the Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act's predisaster hazard mitigation program. It clarifies definitions around "latest published editions" of building codes and standards, and directs FEMA to establish a new Residential Retrofit and Resilience Pilot Program that provides grants—through states and local governments—to individual homeowners for resilience upgrades such as home elevation, floodproofing, tornado safe rooms, seismic retrofits, wildfire mitigation, and wind/roof retrofits. It also removes an existing paragraph from the hazard mitigation revolving loan fund provisions.

The bill mainly affects FEMA, state and local governments that administer disaster mitigation grants, and homeowners applying for retrofit assistance—priority would go to applicants demonstrating financial need. The pilot program could use up to 10% of annual funds otherwise available under the existing predisaster mitigation program, must be established within a year of enactment, and would run through September 30, 2030, with a report to Congress due four years after enactment.

Sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) with Sen. Fetterman as a cosponsor, the bill was introduced February 4, 2025, and referred to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. As of August 6, 2026, the committee ordered it reported favorably with an amendment in the nature of a substitute, meaning it is now positioned for potential consideration by the full Senate.

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