Sponsors (9)
The bill improves hazard data, planning, inclusion, and targeted funding for landslide and extreme-precipitation risks—potentially saving lives and guiding better infrastructure investments—but increases federal and local costs, administrative burdens, and raises equity and implementation trade-offs.
State and local governments, urban communities, homeowners, and utilities will get updated precipitation data (NOAA atlas including atmospheric rivers and 5‑year extreme precipitation) that improves flood and landslide risk estimates and guides infrastructure design.
Emergency managers, utilities, and households in hazard-prone areas will have better information and a required national risk assessment, improving preparedness, early warning use, and the potential to reduce property damage and save lives.
Communities in high-risk and tribal areas will receive targeted funding ($35M total, at least $10M for early warning systems) to improve landslide detection, mapping, and warning systems.
Taxpayers and federal agencies will face increased costs because NOAA must update atlas modeling and guidance and USGS funding is partially redirected, raising federal spending and reducing agency budget flexibility for other priorities.
State and local governments and homeowners may face higher infrastructure and project costs if stricter or more frequent extreme‑precipitation estimates lead to raised design standards and retrofits.
Secretaries, USGS staff, and local emergency managers could face increased administrative burden and slower action because of new reporting, coordination, and expanded stakeholder consultation requirements unless additional resources are provided.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Adds atmospheric river and extreme-precipitation definitions, expands precipitation types NOAA must consider, requires landslide risk assessment and database updates, and clarifies program language.
Adds definitions for "atmospheric river," "atmospheric river flooding event," and "extreme precipitation event," requires NOAA and the federal landslide program to account for those precipitation types in planning and data, and updates who can participate (including certain Tribal and Native Hawaiian organizations and institutions of higher education). It also adjusts program language to emphasize contributing to protection and disseminating guidance, requires the first updated national landslide strategy after enactment to assess risks from atmospheric river flooding and extreme precipitation, and expands the national landslide hazards database to identify areas needing further assessment for hydrologic and precipitation-driven risks. The changes broaden what counts as covered precipitation and add new database and assessment duties but do not create new funding authorizations or deadlines.
Introduced March 21, 2025 by Suzan K. Delbene · Last progress March 21, 2025