H.R. 501 · Where this bill is now
Waiting for a House vote
Approved by committee Oct 3, 2025; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryGives local governments more flexibility on building codes
This bill makes changes to two federal disaster-resilience funding programs run by FEMA. Right now, local governments can only use these grants and loans to build according to the most current building codes. The bill lets them use either the current building code or the previous version instead, giving them more options. It also creates a new pilot program (running through 2028) that lets states and local governments give grants directly to homeowners who want to make their houses more resilient to natural disasters, like storms or flooding.
How it affects you
If you're a homeowner in a state or community that joins the pilot program, you might be able to get grant money to retrofit your home against natural hazards. Local governments and building officials get more flexibility in which building codes to require, which could affect construction timelines and costs in your area. Most people won't directly notice the changes unless they're involved in construction, retrofitting, or local building decisions.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 16, 2025)
Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025
This bill authorizes local governments to implement the previous edition of building codes with funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Safeguarding Tomorrow Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) programs. It also establishes a pilot program for residential resilience retrofits under the BRIC program.
Under current law, local governments may use funding provided under the BRIC and Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF programs to establish and carry out the latest published editions of relevant building codes and standards. The bill allows local governments to use BRIC grant funding to carry out the latest two published editions (i.e., either the current edition of a building code or the previous edition) and requires BRIC to consider adoption of either of the latest two editions when determining whether to provide assistance. The bill also allows local governments to use loan funding from the Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF program for implementing the latest two published editions of building codes, including amendments government entities make to such codes.
Additionally, the bill establishes under the BRIC program a pilot program for states and local governments to provide grants to individuals for residential resilience retrofits (i.e., projects that increase a home’s resilience to natural hazards). To provide this assistance, FEMA may use up to 10% of the assistance made available to BRIC applicants annually. The pilot program terminates at the end of FY2028.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 501
A BILL
Promoting Resilient Buildings Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC-11) · Introduced Jan 16, 2025 · Emergency Management · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Oct 3, 2025: “Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 273.”