New Bipartisan Bill Helps Communities Prepare for Disasters

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressmen Sam Liccardo (D-CA) and William Timmons (R-SC) introduced the bipartisan Ounce of Prevention Act to help states, cities, and local governments strengthen communities before disaster strikes. The bill allows local governments to use Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for pre-disaster risk mitigation-eliminating restrictions that currently tie funding solely to post-disaster relief- and cuts red tape that delays proactive projects to protect communities.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; when it comes to disasters, every $1 invested in mitigation saves $13 in public costs for post-disaster response," said Liccardo, who represents vulnerable stretches of California's coastside and fire-prone communities. A former San José mayor who became too familiar with flooding, fires, and other climate impacts during his tenure, Liccardo added, "Local communities should not have to wait for the storm, fire, or flood to hit before asking Washington for help. Our bill lets them use already-allocated funds to strengthen infrastructure, reduce risk, and prepare for their worst day before it happens."

"Communities should not have to wait until after a disaster strikes to take commonsense steps that protect lives and property. This bipartisan legislation gives local governments more flexibility to use existing Community Development Block Grant funding to strengthen infrastructure, reduce risk, and prepare for future storms. Being proactive is better for taxpayers, better for communities, and better for the people who call those communities home," said Timmons.

Currently, communities can use CDBG funds for several specific purposes, but pre-disaster mitigation is not one of them. Instead, Congress issues supplemental CDBG appropriations to fund disaster recovery and mitigation after communities have already suffered damage. Since 2020, the federal government has appropriated $22 billion for disaster recovery through CDBG.

Cosponsors include: Reps. Maria Salazar (R-FL), Jill Tokuda (D-HI)

The bill earned endorsements from:

American Property Casualty Insurance Association

"APCIA commends Congressman Liccardo and Congressman Timmons for introducing the Ounce of Prevention Act that would provide states and communities in disaster-prone areas with financial incentives to strengthen resilience and reduce rebuilding costs after disasters," said Sam Whitfield, American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) senior vice president of federal government relations and political engagement. "Property casualty insurers are working to reduce losses and protect families and communities from the growing impact of hurricanes, wildfires, and other severe weather. APCIA supports this legislation because expanding federal investment in mitigation will help lower the economic toll of natural catastrophes and save lives."

Council of State Community Development Agencies

"Congressman Liccardo and Timmons' Ounce of Prevention Act would provide the flexibility states and local governments need to mitigate worst case scenario outcomes before a natural disaster occurs. The CDBG program is well-suited to join the landscape of disaster recovery. On behalf of our national network of state agencies, we applaud the Congressman's efforts to allow CDBG to fund mitigation activities to reduce risk in the most disaster-prone areas across the country. We believe this bill would provide communities with more tools to prevent the loss of life, property, and critical infrastructure during future disasters," said Tess Hembree, Executive Director, Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA).

Local Initiatives Support Coalition

"The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) thanks Representatives Liccardo and Timmons for introducing the Ounce of Prevention Act, which would allow the Community Development Block Grant program to be utilized more efficiently for resilience activities. This is vitally important since we've seen the impact of increasing weather events in the communities we serve, including the Bay Area and upstate South Carolina. This legislation would help mitigate natural disaster threats, with a focus on the most vulnerable residents. We thank Representatives Liccardo and Timmons for their leadership on this bill and issue," said Matthew Josephs, Senior Vice President of Policy, LISC.

National Association of Counties

"Counties are on the front lines of disaster preparedness, working tirelessly to protect our communities before the next disaster strikes," said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase. "The Ounce of Prevention Act delivers a commonsense expansion of eligible uses that empowers counties to invest in resilience before disaster hits, rather than waiting to rebuild after the fact. By allowing CDBG funds to support mitigation activities, this bill gives counties the flexibility to reduce long-term risk, protect lives and safeguard property. Counties thank Representative Liccardo and Timmons for their leadership in ensuring that federal resources can meet the full scope of what counties need to keep our residents safe."
National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies

"Any opportunity to help homeowners and communities proactively protect themselves from extreme weather is an opportunity we should take advantage of. Making pre-disaster mitigation an eligible use within CDBG's listed activities will incentivize at-risk communities to use funds to help reduce losses from natural disasters. By expanding the scope and options for ways to invest in mitigation this bill will protect property, reduce losses and save lives. NAMIC applauds Rep. Liccardo and Rep. Timmons for their leadership in introducing the Ounce of Prevention Act," said Jimi Grande, NAMIC Senior Vice President, Federal & Political Affairs.

National Community Development Agency

"This legislation is an important step toward helping communities prepare for the growing threats posed by natural disasters. By allowing CDBG funds to support mitigation efforts, it gives local governments more tools to protect homes and infrastructure and reduce long-term disaster risk," said Vicki Watson, Executive Director, National Community Development Association.
National Low Income Housing Coalition

"As disasters become more frequent and severe, efforts to mitigate potential harms and enhance community resilience are essential. For this reason, NLIHC has endorsed the bipartisan 'Ounce of Prevention Act' to help communities withstand future disasters," said Renee M. Willis, President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. "By providing flexibility in the use of Community Development Block Grant funds, this bill will help ensure that the lowest-income and most marginalized communities receive the support necessary to implement resilience and mitigation measures before future disasters occur. We urge Congress to quickly pass this bill."
National NeighborWorks Association

"As national leaders in affordable housing and community development, NeighborWorks organizations know firsthand that building for disaster resilience is not just cost-effective, but essential for safeguarding the future of our communities," said Lou Tisler, Executive Director of the National NeighborWorks Association (NNA). "Bringing needed clarity and flexibility to HUD's Community Development Block Grant will better enable communities to invest in mitigation before disaster strikes. NNA applauds Congressman Liccardo and Timmons for this timely and commonsense bill that will help us get ahead of the growing disaster risks facing every community."

The U.S. Conference of Mayors

"The United States Conference of Mayors strongly supports Representative Liccardo's legislation to allow Community Development Block Grant funding to be used for natural disaster mitigation. Mayors don't have the luxury of waiting until after a disaster. Our responsibility is to prepare our communities before the next emergency arrives. We know the smartest investment we can make is reducing risk before disaster strikes-not simply rebuilding after lives have been disrupted and communities have been damaged. This legislation gives cities greater flexibility to protect people, strengthen infrastructure, and prepare communities for floods, wildfires, and other extreme weather events. That's exactly the kind of partnership cities need from the federal government: giving local leaders the tools to solve problems before they become crises and better protect the people we serve," said U.S. Conference of Mayors President Todd Gloria, Mayor of San Diego.

Full bill text is available here.

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