NAHB-Supported Building Codes Bill Introduced in Senate
The Promoting Resilient Buildings Act would improve the resilience of homes at risk of being impacted by natural disasters by allowing more states and local communities to be eligible for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program.
The legislation, supported by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), was introduced by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.). The act is meant to help jurisdictions preserve local control over the building code adoption process while also encouraging communities to take positive steps to withstand and recover from extreme events.
According to NAHB, The Promoting Resilient Buildings Act addresses an issue that has become a serious concern for local governments and home builders across the country.
In 2018, the Disaster Recovery Reform Act’s pre-disaster hazard mitigation program defined “latest published editions” of building codes to include the latest two published editions of relevant codes, specifications and standards. This definition sunset in October 2023, but this legislation would remove the sunset, permanently codifying the current definition of “latest published editions” for the pre-disaster hazard mitigation program.
