FEMA Concedes in BRIC Funding Case; Files Plan to Reinstate Water, Sewer, and Flood Protection Program, Make $1 Billion in New Grants Available

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Tuesday, March 24, 2026
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RALEIGH - On Friday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) conceded to the court that it will comply with the court's ruling in favor of Attorney General Jackson to reinstate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. This comes after Attorney General Jackson won the case in December when the court ruled that FEMA broke the law by canceling the BRIC program, which had $200 million in pending disaster prevention projects across North Carolina.

After FEMA resisted that court order, Attorney General Jackson and a group of attorneys general went back to court to seek enforcement. The states prevailed, and the court ordered FEMA to submit a plan to restart the BRIC program, which it did Friday.

Attorney General Jeff Jackson released the following statement:

"FEMA has finally acknowledged what the court made clear: the agency lost this case, and it needs to pay North Carolina the money it owes. This is good news - but the money hasn't arrived yet, so we're not done. Our towns and cities are waiting for the dollars they were promised to get ready for the next storm, and we won't stand down until those funds arrive."

In its status report filed with the court, FEMA says it will appropriate the remaining BRIC dollars to states in the coming months. It will also begin taking funding applications totaling up to $1 billion for the next year of BRIC programs on Friday.

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