A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See all 2 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The SAFE Rural Act aims to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to support rural areas facing flood risks. It establishes the SAFE Rural Fund, which is funded by a 2 percent allocation from the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund. This fund provides dedicated, formula-based pass-through grants to States and Indian tribal governments for flood resilience projects in rural communities. The bill focuses on predisaster investments, such as infrastructure construction and nature-based solutions, to fill gaps left by post-disaster recovery efforts. It also includes a community assistance program to build local capacity for managing these grants.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +8
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The bill establishes a dedicated fund specifically to support flood resilience in rural communities.
- Scored +7
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The bill provides dedicated, formula-based pass-through grants to Indian tribal governments.
- Scored +6
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill funds nature-based solutions like floodplain restoration and wetland enhancement.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Targeted Support for Vulnerable Communities: The bill provides dedicated funding for rural communities, Tribal lands, and territories that face heightened vulnerabilities due to limited tax bases and aging infrastructure (Section 2, Findings).
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Increased Flood Resilience through Infrastructure: Funds can be used for the construction or restoration of flood-resilient public infrastructure, including bridges, culverts, drainage systems, and levees (Section 7, subsection (5)(A)(i)).
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Environmental and Nature-Based Benefits: The act supports nature-based solutions such as floodplain and wetland restoration, living shorelines, and upland reforestation to reduce runoff (Section 5; Section 7, subsection (5)(A)(iii)).
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Reduced Financial Burden via Predisaster Investment: Targeted support for flood mitigation is intended to measurably reduce long-term Federal disaster expenditures (Section 2, Findings).
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Streamlined Grant Processes for Small Communities: The bill mandates a streamlined application process for small project subgrants (under $500,000) to help those with limited administrative capacity (Section 10, subsection (3)).
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Capacity Building for Local Governments: The CAP-MIT grant program is designed to assist communities with preparing and submitting hazard mitigation grant applications (Section 7, subsection (7)(B)(ii)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Requirement for Local Funding Shares: Project subgrants generally require a non-Federal share of not less than 25 percent, which may pose a burden for some entities (Section 7, subsection (6)(B)(i)).
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Strict Maintenance Obligations: To receive subgrants for certain projects, entities must submit an operations and maintenance plan that includes a responsible party and a funding source for long-term costs (Section 7, subsection (5)(B)(i)).
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Administrative Retention Limits: Recipients are limited to retaining no more than 5 percent of allocated funds for administration, outreach, and monitoring (Section 7, subsection (4)(A)(ii)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill establishes a dedicated fund specifically to support flood resilience in rural communities. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill provides dedicated, formula-based pass-through grants to Indian tribal governments. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill prioritizes funding for low-income communities to mitigate flood risks.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill funds nature-based solutions like floodplain restoration and wetland enhancement. Does this repair or build roads and bridges? — The bill provides funds for the construction and restoration of flood-resilient bridges and culverts.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill aims to reduce long-term Federal disaster expenditures through targeted predisaster investments.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates the publication of application scoring results and written summaries for applicants.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make housing cost less? — The bill helps protect homes from flood risk through infrastructure and nature-based solutions.
- 7/21/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
James GallagherRepublican · California
Eric SorensenDemocrat · Illinois