Preventing Our Next Natural Disaster Act

This bill, known as the "Preventing Our Next Natural Disaster Act," aims to significantly enhance predisaster mitigation efforts by amending the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. It establishes new definitions for high hazard risk , environmental justice communities , and small impoverished communities , which are central to its prioritization strategy. The legislation directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop guidance for incorporating climate change into risk assessments, cost-benefit analyses, and building codes, ensuring projects are designed for future climate projections. It also increases the federal share for mitigation activities in small impoverished and environmental justice communities to up to 90% of the total cost, recognizing their unique needs. To bolster funding, the bill raises the percentage of the Disaster Relief Fund allocated for predisaster mitigation from 6% to 15% and allows for setting aside 2% of major disaster grants for community planning. FEMA is mandated to conduct targeted community outreach to increase applications from vulnerable communities and assist them with grant development and project planning based on climate conditions and hazard risks. Finally, the Act requires FEMA to establish a central federal database within three years to consolidate funding data from various agencies involved in post-disaster response and predisaster mitigation. This database will categorize spending, include demographic data, and facilitate post-project evaluations to analyze the effectiveness and savings generated by predisaster mitigation efforts.