H.R. 9557 – Ounce of Prevention Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated July 6, 2026 at 1:44 PM UTC

The Ounce of Prevention Act amends the 1974 Housing and Community Development Act to let Community Development Block Grant recipients use some of their funding for natural‑disaster mitigation projects. It defines what counts as mitigation, requires high‑risk areas to plan for these activities, and gives HUD authority to adjust reporting rules and offer technical help. The changes affect local governments and other entities that receive CDBG money, especially those in communities vulnerable to weather‑related hazards.

Key Provisions

Adds “mitigation of threats to the health and welfare of a community posed by weather‑related disaster and hazard events” as an allowable use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.
Defines “mitigation activities” as actions that increase disaster resilience and reduce loss of life, injury, property damage, and hardship.
Allows grantees in high‑risk areas—certified by FEMA’s National Risk Index or a state hazard risk index—to include natural‑disaster mitigation (new construction or rehabilitation) in their HUD consolidated plans.
Lets housing units built or repaired under these mitigation projects be counted as a single structure for HUD’s national object standards and exempts them from certain aggregate public‑benefit limits.
Requires HUD to provide technical assistance to grantees using CDBG money for mitigation.
Mandates HUD to issue rules within one year to formalize how mitigation activities are treated under HUD regulations.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Financial Services Committee

June 30, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 30, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Financial Services Committee

June 30, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued June 30, 2026

I

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 9557

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 30, 2026

Mr. Liccardo (for himself, Mr. Timmons, Ms. Tokuda, and Ms. Salazar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services

A BILL

To amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to allow certain grantees to use Community Development Block Grant amounts for natural disaster mitigation activities, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Ounce of Prevention Act.

2.

Use of Community Development Block Grant amounts for natural disaster mitigation activities

(a)

In general

The Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.) is amended—

(1)

in section 101(c)—

(A)

in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(B)

by adding at the end the following:

(10)

the mitigation of threats to the health and welfare of a community posed by weather-related disaster and hazard events.

;

(2)

in section 102(a), by adding at the end the following:

(25)

The term mitigation activities means activities that increase resilience to disasters and reduce or eliminate the long-term risk of loss of life, injury, damage to and loss of property, and suffering and hardship, by lessening the impact of future disasters.

;

(3)

in section 104(b)(3), by inserting support mitigation of threats to the health and welfare of a community posed by weather-related disaster and hazard events, after blight,; and

(4)

in section 105—

(A)

in subsection (a)—

(i)

in paragraph (26), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(ii)

by adding at the end the following:

(27)

natural disaster mitigation activities, including new construction and rehabilitation of structures, if the grantee—

(A)

includes within the consolidated plan submitted under part 91 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation, that the grantee is in a high risk area, and the Secretary certifies such risk, according to—

(i)

the National Risk Index developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency; or

(ii)

a natural hazard risk index maintained by the State in which the grantee is located; and

(B)

describes in such consolidated plan how such activities will address natural disaster mitigation needs.

; and

(B)

by adding at the end the following:

(i)

Use of grants for natural disaster mitigation

(1)

Effect on aggregation standards

A grantee that uses grant amounts for natural disaster mitigation activities as described in subsection (a)(27) may treat housing units assisted under that activity—

(A)

as a single structure with respect to meeting criteria for national objects as described in section 570.208 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation; and

(B)

as exempted from any aggregate standards for public benefit as described in section 570.209 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.

(2)

Technical assistance

The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to grantees that use grant amounts for natural disaster mitigation activities as described in subsection (a)(27).

.

(b)

Rulemaking

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall issue rules to include—

(1)

mitigation efforts in areas with potential for natural disaster risk—

(A)

as an activity designed to meet community development needs having a particular urgency, as described in section 570.208(c) of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations; and

(B)

as criteria for national objects as described in section 570.483 of title 24, Code of Federal Regulations; and

(2)

threats posed by documented weather-related disaster or hazard risks as a serious and immediate threat to the health or welfare of the community, as described in such section.