Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Amends Section 403 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to allow electric utilities to carry out cost‑effective hazard mitigation activities jointly with emergency power restoration funded under that section, and states that receiving emergency restoration assistance does not make a facility ineligible for hazard mitigation assistance under Section 406.
Progressives emphasize community resilience and equity benefits
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly scoped substantive amendment to the Stafford Act that authorizes electric utilities to perform cost-effective hazard mitigation in conjunction with emergency power restoration and preserves eligibility for section 406 mitigation assistance.
Amends Section 403 of the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to allow electric utilities to carry out cost‑effective hazard mitigation activities jointly with emergency power restoration funded under that section, and states that receiving emergency restoration assistance does not make a facility ineligible for hazard mitigation assistance under Section 406.
The amendment applies only to amounts appropriated on or after enactment.
Small, administrative tweak with modest fiscal exposure increases plausibility; success depends on smooth committee and floor handling in Senate.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly scoped substantive amendment to the Stafford Act that authorizes electric utilities to perform cost-effective hazard mitigation in conjunction with emergency power restoration and preserves eligibility for section 406 mitigation assistance.
Progressives emphasize community resilience and equity benefits
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Progressives emphasize community resilience and equity benefits
Likely supportive because the bill enables hazard mitigation that can protect communities from recurring outages and climate‑related events.
Would want stronger safeguards to ensure public benefit, equity, and accountability when utilities use federal disaster assistance.
Generally favorable as a targeted statutory clarification that can improve efficiency in disaster response and reduce repeat costs.
Will seek clear cost‑effectiveness standards, oversight, and fiscal controls to limit unintended spending.
Cautious or skeptical because it expands federal assistance tied to electric utilities and could create moral hazard for utility management.
Might accept narrowly constrained versions with strict cost sharing and limits.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Small, administrative tweak with modest fiscal exposure increases plausibility; success depends on smooth committee and floor handling in Senate.
The House fast-tracked this bill — skipping normal debate — and it passed with a two-thirds majority. It now moves to the Senate.
Suspending the rules allows the House to bypass normal debate procedures and pass a bill immediately with a two-thirds vote.
Progressives emphasize community resilience and equity benefits
Small, administrative tweak with modest fiscal exposure increases plausibility; success depends on smooth committee and floor handling in S…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a narrowly scoped substantive amendment to the Stafford Act that authorizes electric utilities to perform cost-effective hazard mitigation in conjunction with emer…
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