Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Technical Corrections Act

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5673, the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Technical Corrections Act.

This bill revises provisions related to the hazard mitigation revolving loan fund program, by requiring capitalization grant recipients to supplement these two most recently published editions of relevant building codes, specifications, and standards.

The Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Act authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to enter into agreements with any state or Indian tribal government to make grants for the establishment of hazard mitigation revolving loan funds.

The funding would enable local governments that carry out projects to reduce disaster risks for homeowners, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and communities to decrease the loss of life and property, the cost of insurance claims, and federal disaster payments.

The Infrastructure Act of 2021 provides $500 million to the STORM Act, or $100 million per year for five years.

This new FEMA grant program finances water, wastewater, infrastructure, disaster recovery, community, and small business development projects.

This revolving loan fund can be utilized for projects intended to protect against wildfires, earthquakes, flooding, storm surges, chemical spills, seepage resulting from chemical spills and floods, and any other event deemed catastrophic by FEMA.

This legislation makes a huge impact on the nation's efforts to prevent and recover from natural disasters.

My community, the 18th Congressional District of Texas will benefit greatly from this bill.

Houston's Hurricane Harvey wreaked $125 billion in damage to the Houston area.

Houston's Third and Fifth Wards and in surrounding communities of Baytown and Gulfton, took the brunt of flooding damage due to Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

In February 2021, many of these same neighborhoods endured a much higher rate of power outages from Winter Storm Uri.

These low-interest loans will allow for cities and states to repay the loan, with savings from mitigation projects.

It also gives states the flexibility to prepare for oncoming disasters without paying high-interest rates.

They can invest in their communities--cutting red tape and they will no longer have to wait on the federal government.

For my district, and others living on the coast, it is not a matter of ``if'' a hurricane will strike our coast, it's a matter of ``when'' it will strike.

I ask my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 5673 because hazards are going to happen and we must do everything we can to protect our people.

We need the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Act.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5673) to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to make technical corrections to the hazard mitigation revolving loan fund program, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5673.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5673. This bill will make technical corrections to the STORM Act, which was enacted in the 116th Congress.

The STORM Act is bipartisan and bicameral legislation that created a hazard mitigation revolving loan fund that helped States and Tribal governments finance mitigation projects. This bill corrects clerical errors in the enacted language of the STORM Act.

I urge my colleagues on both sides to join with me and support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 5673, the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation--STORM--Technical Corrections Act, which makes necessary corrections to the STORM Act passed late last Congress.

This bill recognizes and implements the latest two installments of the building code and makes additional corrections, including those related to definitions for insular areas, to the mitigation revolving loan fund created in the STORM Act last Congress to ensure parity.

This language reflects previously agreed-upon bipartisan language in the 116th House version of the STORM Act.

I thank Chair Titus for her work and leadership on this bill, and I appreciate the bipartisanship found in this legislation.

I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge that these corrections be added to the law and previously agreed-to corrections to the STORM Act as passed last Congress.

Madam Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.