Sponsors (2)
The bill speeds a national earthquake risk assessment and establishes federal lifeline recovery standards to improve post-quake service restoration and reduce losses, while imposing upfront compliance/retrofit costs and creating risks of rushed or under-resourced implementation.
Utilities, hospitals, and communities will get federally developed lifeline recovery standards and consensus codes that speed restoration of power, water, and communications after earthquakes, improving coordination and resilience.
Households and businesses will face fewer service disruptions and lower economic losses after earthquakes because stronger lifeline recovery standards enable faster restoration of services.
State and local governments will receive a national earthquake risk assessment within two years that identifies progress and gaps in resilience, helping them prioritize mitigation investments.
Utilities, building owners, homeowners, small businesses, and local governments may incur new compliance, retrofit, or design costs to meet the new standards and codes.
A two-year deadline for the assessment and standards may rush the process, limiting stakeholder engagement and risking missed issues or less thorough recommendations.
Federal agencies will need staff time and resources to prepare the assessment and develop standards, creating administrative costs and potential implementation burdens.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs federal agencies to produce a national earthquake risk assessment within two years and adds a requirement to develop standards for post‑earthquake recovery of lifeline infrastructure services.
Introduced April 1, 2025 by Kevin Mullin · Last progress April 1, 2025
Directs the Director of NIST, working with FEMA, NSF, and USGS and coordinating with federal, state, local, Tribal, territorial governments and other stakeholders, to deliver a national earthquake risk assessment to two congressional committees within two years showing progress on community earthquake resilience and remaining gaps. Also amends existing earthquake hazards law to require development of standards, guidelines, or consensus codes to improve post-earthquake recovery of lifeline infrastructure services, coordinated as appropriate with a national lifeline infrastructure organization.