Sponsors (2)
Want my take on what this bill would do?
This is not an official government website.
Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Updates federal earthquake law to broaden who is covered and what the federal program must do. It adds Tribal governments, clarifies and expands program goals (evaluation, retrofitting, functional recovery, and earthquake early warning), requires new reporting and planning duties for agencies, and authorizes multi‑year funding for the USGS, NSF, NIST, and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP). The bill also modernizes definitions, directs agencies to develop recovery‑focused performance objectives and technical assistance, creates inventories and seismic‑evaluation tasks for high‑risk buildings and lifeline infrastructure, and sets deadlines for biennial progress reports to an interagency coordinating body.
In paragraph (1)(A), replace the phrase "50 States, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico," with the phrase "States and Tribal jurisdictions".
In paragraph (1)(B), replace the phrase "of them" with the word "States".
In paragraph (1)(C), add at the end the phrase "National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025".
In paragraph (2)(A), insert the conjunction phrase "; and" after the first sentence of paragraph (2).
In paragraph (2)(B)(i), in the third sentence, replace "and construction" with ", construction, evaluation, and retrofitting" — thereby adding evaluation and retrofitting to the listed items.
Who is affected and how:
Tribal governments: Newly and explicitly included in findings, purposes, program activities, technical assistance, and coordination. They should receive greater eligibility for NEHRP outreach, inventories, technical help, and grant programs intended to evaluate and retrofit buildings and lifelines in Tribal jurisdictions.
Federal agencies and programs (USGS, FEMA, NSF, NIST, and NEHRP partners): Will have expanded duties—developing standards, conducting inventories, administering grants and technical assistance, coordinating early warning and alerts, running research to improve functional recovery, and delivering biennial reports. Agencies will need program planning, staffing, and funding to meet new statutory tasks.
Building owners, operators, and developers (especially owners of high‑risk buildings): May be targeted for seismic evaluation, inclusion in federal inventories, eligibility for federally supported evaluations/retrofits, and potentially for performance standard adoption. This may increase demand for engineering assessments and retrofit work; owners may benefit from grants/technical assistance but could face new local or insurer expectations tied to recovery performance objectives.
Lifeline infrastructure operators (electric utilities, water/sewer, communications, transportation, and other critical systems): Face new inventory/evaluation priorities and stronger emphasis on recovery resilience and coordination with earthquake early warning systems. Operators may become eligible for technical assistance and research partnerships to improve rapid functional recovery after shaking.
Emergency response and communications providers (including early warning/alert systems and 9‑1‑1/PSAPs): Will see strengthened federal coordination and standards for alerting and early‑warning integration; this can improve public warning speed and accuracy but will require integration work and possible technology upgrades.
Researchers, standards bodies, and the engineering/retrofit industry: Federal direction to develop recovery‑focused performance objectives and standards creates demand for applied research, standards development, engineering practice updates, and contractor/developer capacity for seismic evaluation and retrofitting.
Residents and communities in earthquake‑prone areas: Expected long‑term benefits from improved planning, prioritized retrofits, better early warning and alerts, and a focus on returning buildings and services to functional use faster after an event. Short‑term impacts may include planning processes, surveys, or construction work in affected neighborhoods.
Housing programs and beneficiaries: Statutory edits to housing language emphasize improving post‑earthquake functional recovery; this could influence housing program rules and allowable activities tied to seismic resilience.
Net effect: The bill tasks federal agencies with broadened technical, planning, and reporting responsibilities and directs funding authorization to support those actions. It increases federal focus on Tribal inclusion, retrofitting, and measurable recovery outcomes, which should improve long‑term seismic resilience but will require agency resources and cooperative implementation with state, Tribal, and local partners. Many actions depend on subsequent appropriations, rulemaking, and grant program design.
Amends section 11 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7705e) by inserting additional text in the matter before paragraph (1): specifically, inserting text after the first sentence and inserting text before the fifth sentence of that matter.
Amends 42 U.S.C. 7704a by replacing the term(s) in subsection (a) with "performance" (changing phrasing from "safety" to "performance") and by replacing the phrase "shake-related property damage" in subsection (b) with "seismic-related property damage to improve the post-earthquake functional recovery time."
Amends various paragraphs and subparagraphs of 42 U.S.C. 7704 (section 5 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977) to expand program activities, add Tribal governments throughout covered provisions, add new activities and duties (including inventorying high-risk buildings and lifeline infrastructure, technical assistance, and multiple-hazard and post-earthquake recovery objectives), add coordination requirements with the Federal Communications Commission and other agencies, and modify responsibilities of FEMA, USGS, and NSF.
Amends subsection (a)(8) and subsections (b)(2), (c)(2), and (d)(2) of 42 U.S.C. 7706 by adding new subparagraphs (K)–(O) that authorize specified annual funding amounts for fiscal years 2024–2028; in the USGS amendment, requires not less than $36,000,000 each year for completion of the Advanced National Seismic System established under section 13.
Amends 42 U.S.C. 7705b by (1) modifying wording in subsection (b) (striking "under paragraph (1)" and inserting "under subsection (a)") and (2) adding new subsections (c) (Implementation of recommendations) and (d) (Biennial reports) establishing Program agency implementation duties and biennial reporting requirements to the Interagency Coordinating Committee.
Amends the definitions section of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act (42 U.S.C. 7703) by (a) modifying paragraph (3) with an insertion after "; and" and (b) adding three new definition paragraphs (11)–(13) defining "Tribal government" by reference to 2 U.S.C. 658, "functional recovery," and "earthquake forecast."
Amends paragraph (1) to add Tribal government and replace 'locations and structures' with 'buildings and infrastructure'; amends paragraph (2) to add 'evaluation, and retrofitting' to the list of methods and performs an insertion after a semicolon; and amends paragraph (4) to add Tribal government and change 'encourage consideration of' to 'incorporate'.
Multiple amendments to the Congressional findings in 42 U.S.C. 7701: (1) revises paragraph (1) language that enumerated all 50 States and Puerto Rico to refer instead to 'States and Tribal jurisdictions', changes 'of them' to 'States', corrects punctuation in the list (Tennessee), and replaces the sentence 'A large portion of the population...' with the phrase 'National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025'; (2) modifies paragraph (2) to add 'evaluation, and retrofitting' to a list of earthquake hazards reduction measures and indicates additional insertions (text not provided in this section); (4) replaces language about a 'well-funded seismological research program' so that it 'is necessary to provide the scientific understanding needed to improve and expand the earthquake early warning system.'; (5) replaces 'cave-ins' with 'collapse' in paragraph (8); (6) in paragraph (9) inserts 'local, and Tribal government' into the first sentence, replaces 'transfer knowledge and information to' with 'exchange knowledge and information between' in the second sentence, and replaces 'specifications, criteria' with 'guidelines, codes, standards' in the third sentence; (7) makes targeted wording changes in paragraph (12) (replacing portions of the second sentence regarding newer buildings and their performance when earthquakes occur) and indicates an addition at the end (text not provided here); and (8) in paragraph (13) inserts additional text at specified points and adds at the end the sentence: 'The cost of actual seismic retrofits to reduce known risks is not included in such valuation.'
Expand sections to see detailed analysis
Received in the House.
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Introduced January 29, 2025 by Alejandro Padilla · Last progress January 7, 2026
Held at the desk.
Received in the House.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.