Ounce of Prevention Act
- Sponsor
- Rep. Liccardo, Sam T. [D-CA-16]
- Committees
- Financial Services Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Jun 30, 2026
Bottom line
The bill expands the permissible uses of Community Development Block Grant funds to include proactive natural disaster mitigation, aiming to enhance community resilience and reduce future disaster impacts.
What it actually does
This bill, the 'Ounce of Prevention Act,' amends the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to explicitly allow Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to be used for natural disaster mitigation activities. It defines mitigation, integrates it into community needs assessments, and provides regulatory streamlining for grantees in high-risk areas certified by HUD. The bill also mandates HUD to issue rules to facilitate these new uses.
Proponents argue
Proponents argue that investing in pre-disaster mitigation is a cost-effective strategy that saves lives, protects property, and reduces the long-term financial burden of disaster recovery. They contend that allowing CDBG funds for these activities empowers local communities, especially those in high-risk areas, to build greater resilience against increasingly frequent and severe weather-related events.
Opponents contend
Opponents might express concerns that expanding CDBG eligibility to include disaster mitigation could dilute the program's original focus on traditional community development needs such as affordable housing, infrastructure, and economic development. Some may also raise questions about the administrative burden on HUD and grantees in certifying 'high-risk areas' and ensuring equitable distribution of funds.
The bill is short and relatively straightforward, making it accessible for a reader to understand its core provisions within a short timeframe.
Section 2(a)(1)
Expanding CDBG Program Purpose to Include Natural Disaster Mitigation
This provision amends Section 101(c) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to explicitly include 'the mitigation of threats to the health and welfare of a community posed by weather-related disaster and hazard events' as an official purpose of the Community Development Block Grant program. This change broadens the foundational objectives that CDBG funds can address.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that this amendment is crucial for aligning the CDBG program with contemporary challenges, allowing communities to proactively address the growing risks posed by natural disasters and build long-term resilience.
Critics contend
Some critics might contend that broadening the program's purpose could dilute its focus on traditional community development priorities, potentially diverting resources from other pressing needs.
Tradeoffs
The provision navigates the tension between addressing immediate community development needs and investing in long-term disaster preparedness and resilience.
Section 2(a)(2)
Definition of 'Mitigation Activities'
This section adds a new definition to Section 102(a) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, clarifying what 'mitigation activities' entail. It defines them as actions that increase resilience to disasters and reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of loss of life, injury, property damage, and suffering by lessening the impact of future disasters.
Section 2(a)(4)(A)
Eligibility for Natural Disaster Mitigation Activities
This provision amends Section 105(a) to explicitly include 'natural disaster mitigation activities' as an eligible use of CDBG funds. This includes new construction and rehabilitation of structures. To qualify, a grantee must be in a high-risk area (certified by HUD based on FEMA's National Risk Index or a State index) and describe these activities in their consolidated plan.
Section 2(a)(4)(B)
Regulatory Streamlining and Technical Assistance for Mitigation
This section introduces new regulatory flexibilities for grantees using CDBG funds for natural disaster mitigation. It allows housing units assisted under these activities to be treated as a single structure for meeting national objectives criteria (Section 570.208 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations) and exempts them from aggregate public benefit standards (Section 570.209). Additionally, it mandates HUD to provide technical assistance to grantees undertaking these mitigation activities.
Section 2(b)
HUD Rulemaking for Mitigation Efforts
This section mandates the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to issue new rules within one year of the Act's enactment. These rules must include mitigation efforts in high-risk areas as activities designed to meet community development needs of 'particular urgency' and as criteria for 'national objects' under CDBG regulations. It also requires recognizing weather-related risks as 'serious and immediate threats' to community welfare.
The bill makes specific references to sections of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), including 570.208, 570.209, and 570.483. These references relate to national objectives criteria, aggregate public benefit standards, and activities designed to meet community development needs of particular urgency. The bill exempts certain mitigation activities from some of these standards and mandates HUD to include mitigation efforts within others.
Section 2(a)(4)(B) and Section 2(b)
Why it matters:This is standard legislative practice for amending existing statutes and regulations, ensuring precise legal effect rather than being an attempt to obscure the provision.
Case for: Proponents argue that these technical adjustments are crucial for streamlining the implementation of mitigation projects, reducing bureaucratic hurdles that might otherwise deter grantees from undertaking these vital activities. They ensure that mitigation efforts can proceed efficiently within the existing regulatory framework.
Case against: Critics might suggest that without a deep understanding of the referenced CFR sections, the full impact of these exemptions and inclusions on program accountability and oversight could be overlooked. There is a potential for reduced transparency if the implications of these regulatory changes are not widely understood.
Estimated impact: These provisions have a significant operational impact, directly influencing how CDBG grantees can structure and justify mitigation projects, potentially making it easier to qualify for funding and meet compliance requirements.