New Bipartisan Bill Helps Communities Prepare for Disasters

This press release from Representative William R. Timmons IV (R-SC) was published on 2026-07-01 and titled "New Bipartisan Bill Helps Communities Prepare for Disasters".

New Bipartisan Bill Helps Communities Prepare for Disasters

Congressmen William Timmons (R-SC) and Sam Liccardo (D-CA) introduced the bipartisan Ounce of Prevention Act to help states, cities, and local governments strengthen communities before disaster strikes. The bill allows local governments to use Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for pre-disaster risk mitigation–eliminating restrictions that currently tie funding solely to post-disaster relief– and cuts red tape that delays proactive projects to protect communities. "Communities should not have to wait until after a disaster strikes to take commonsense steps that protect lives and property. This bipartisan legislation gives local governments more flexibility to use existing Community Development Block Grant funding to strengthen infrastructure, reduce risk, and prepare for future storms. Being proactive is better for taxpayers, better for communities, and better for the people who call those communities home,” said Timmons. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; when it comes to disasters, every $1 invested in mitigation saves $13 in public costs for post-disaster response,” said Liccardo, who represents vulnerable stretches of California’s coastside and fire-prone communities. A former San José mayor who became too familiar with flooding, fires, and other climate impacts during his tenure, Liccardo added, “Local communities should not have to wait for the storm, fire, or flood to hit before asking Washington for help. Our bill lets them use already-allocated funds to strengthen infrastructure, reduce risk, and prepare for their worst day before it happens.” Currently, communities can use CDBG funds for several specific purposes, but pre-disaster mitigation is not one of them. Instead, Congress issues supplemental CDBG appropriations to fund disaster recovery and mitigation after communities have already suffered damage. Since 2020, the federal government has appropriated $22 billion for disaster recovery through CDBG. Cosponsors include: Reps. Maria Salazar (R-FL), Jill Tokuda (D-HI) The bill earned endorsements from: American Property Casualty Insurance Association “APCIA commends Congressman Liccardo and Congressman Timmons for introducing the Ounce of Prevention Act that would provide states and communities in disaster-prone areas with financial incentives to strengthen resilience and reduce rebuilding costs after disasters,” said Sam Whitfield, American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) senior vice president of federal government relations and political engagement. “Property casualty insurers are working to reduce losses and protect families and communities from the growing impact of hurricanes, wildfires, and other severe weather. APCIA supports this legislation because expanding federal investment in mitigation will help lower the economic toll of natural catastrophes and save lives.” Council of State Community Development Agencies “Congressman Liccardo and Timmons’ Ounce of Prevention Act would provide the flexibility states and local governments need to mitigate worst case scenario outcomes before a natural disaster occurs. The CDBG program is well-suited to join the landscape of disaster recovery. On behalf of our national network of state agencies, we applaud the Congressman’s efforts to allow CDBG to fund mitigation activities to reduce risk in the most disaster-prone areas across the country. We believe this bill would provide communities with more tools to prevent the loss of life, property, and critical infrastructure during future disasters,” said Tess Hembree, Executive Director, Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA). Local Initiatives Support Coalition “The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) thanks Representatives Liccardo and Timmons for introducing the Ounce of Prevention Act, which would allow the Community Development Block Grant program to be utilized more efficiently for resilience activities. This is vitally important since we’ve seen the impact of increasing weather events in the communities we serve, including the Bay Area and upstate South Carolina. This legislation would help mitigate natural disaster threats, with a focus on the most vulnerable residents. We thank Representatives Liccardo and Timmons for their leadership on this bill and issue,” said Matthew Josephs, Senior Vice President of Policy, LISC. National Association of Counties "Counties are on the front lines of disaster preparedness, working tirelessly to protect our communities before the next disaster strikes," s aid National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase. "The Ounce of Prevention Act delivers a commonsense expansion of eligible uses that empowers counties to invest in resilience before disaster hits, rather than waiting to rebuild after the fact. By allowing CDBG funds to support mitigation activities, this bill gives counties the flexibility to reduce long-term risk, protect lives and safeguard property. Counties thank Rep