Sponsors (10)
The bill strengthens planning, definitions, funding eligibility, and direct protections for vulnerable people during extreme-heat and cold events, but it increases federal and local costs, could create short-term delays or uneven implementation, and may raise competition for limited mitigation funds.
Low-income households, seniors, people with disabilities, and broader communities will get new or expanded cooling/resilience centers, direct equipment and voucher assistance, and targeted protections that reduce heat- and cold-related illness and costs.
State and local governments, hospitals, and emergency managers will receive clearer FEMA definitions, guidance, and a single published reference (including incident-period rules and extreme-heat definitions) that improve planning, consistent funding decisions, and eligibility for assistance.
Local and state governments and communities will gain greater access to hazard-mitigation funding for projects that primarily address extreme-heat impacts (e.g., cooling centers, shaded transit stops, heat-mitigation infrastructure).
Taxpayers could face higher federal spending and administrative costs to expand FEMA programs, fund centers and equipment, and support panel convenings and rulemaking.
State and local governments, hospitals, and community organizations may need to provide matching funds, administrative capacity, or pay to upgrade plans and infrastructure, imposing new budgetary strains on local budgets.
Required reviews, studies, and rulemaking (including panel convenings and one-year deadlines) could delay near-term updates and direct funding, slowing access to immediate assistance that some jurisdictions need now.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Directs FEMA to review incident period rules, study extreme heat/cold impacts, issue guidance, and expand eligible mitigation/preparedness projects for extreme temperatures under Stafford Act authorities.
Official title: To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to take certain actions relating to incident periods and extreme weather, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 29, 2025 by Alice Costandina Titus · Last progress May 29, 2025
Requires FEMA to study and update how the agency defines and responds to extreme temperature events, create guidance and policy changes for hazard mitigation and preparedness, and permit certain heat- and cold-focused mitigation projects to be eligible under the Stafford Act. It directs an advisory panel, a one-year study and reports to Congress, guidance publication, and rulemaking to implement recommendations within specified timeframes.