Salazar Reintroduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Strengthen America's Disaster Preparedness

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative María Elvira Salazar (FL-27) reintroduced, alongside Rep. Scott Peters (CA-50), Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the bipartisan, bicameral National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security (NCARS) Act, legislation to strengthen America's preparedness for hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and other natural hazards that threaten communities, critical infrastructure, public safety, and national security.

For South Florida, where hurricanes, flooding, sea-level rise, and extreme heat increasingly threaten families, businesses, and critical infrastructure, the legislation would help communities better prepare before disaster strikes by improving coordination across the federal government and making resilience resources more accessible to state and local leaders.

"Miami is ground zero for rising waters, and our neighborhoods cannot afford more delay. Every year we wait to plan for natural disasters, the costs go up and the damage gets worse," said Rep. Salazar. "That's why I'm proud to co-lead the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security (NCARS) Act of 2026. This legislation will help us build stronger infrastructure, improve coordination across the federal government, and keep our people safe for generations to come."

"San Diegans know first-hand the consequences of climate change, from destructive wildfires and prolonged drought to dangerous heat waves and rising seas that threaten our coastline. My constituents can't afford more delays," Rep. Peters said. "The NCARS Act would streamline resources, improve coordination, and hold agencies accountable so we can better prepare for and respond to the growing climate threats our communities face. I'm glad to once again have bicameral, bipartisan support as we move this commonsense legislation forward."

"Alaskan communities continue to face an increasing number of damaging natural disasters, including catastrophic flooding, coastal erosion, severe storms, landslides, wildfires, earthquakes, volcanic activity, and permafrost thaw. Over the past year alone, communities across our state have endured multiple disasters that damaged critical infrastructure, disrupted essential services, and put lives at risk," said Senator Murkowski. "I'm glad to once again partner on bipartisan, bi-cameral legislation to develop and implement a unified National Resilience Strategy, with input from federal, state, Tribal, local, and private-sector partners. Alaska's unique geography and exposure to every type of natural hazard underscore the need for a coordinated federal approach that helps communities prepare for, adapt to, and recover from disasters more effectively."

"We can't leave Americans to face extreme weather events - from winter storms to weeks of record high heat - alone," said Senator Coons. "As the lowest lying state in the nation, Delaware is no stranger to how climate change can impact homes and businesses. This bill will create a national, coordinated strategy to bring together government and the private sector to protect communities, our economy, and our national security from the potentially devastating effects of climate change."

The NCARS Act would:

• Establish a National Adaptation and Resilience Strategy and implementation plan in coordination with federal, state, local, Tribal, private-sector, and nonprofit partners.
• Establish a Chief Resilience Officer within the Executive Office of the President to coordinate and implement the national strategy.
• Create interagency working groups to improve coordination across federal agencies and strengthen accountability.
• Create a federal resilience information hub to make federal resilience resources, data, and planning tools more accessible to state and local communities.

Investing in resilience before disasters occur can significantly reduce future costs. According to FEMA, every $1 invested in resilience can save approximately $6 in future disaster recovery costs. In 2024 alone, natural disasters caused an estimated $217.8 billion in damages nationwide, underscoring the growing importance of preparing communities before disaster strikes.

The legislation also addresses long-term hazards, including sea-level rise and coastal erosion, helping communities better protect roads, utilities, homes, businesses, and other critical infrastructure.

Originally introduced in 2022, the NCARS Act has been reintroduced with bipartisan, bicameral support and continues to receive backing from a broad coalition of infrastructure, engineering, business, local government, insurance, scientific, and conservation organizations, including American Flood Coalition Action, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Association of Counties, the American Public Works Association, The Nature Conservancy, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Environmental Defense Fund, the International Code Council, and Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Read the one-pager on the NCARS Act here.

A section-by-section summary here. 

The full bill text is available here.