Rick Scott (R-FL)· Jan 5, 2026
S.Amdt. 4148: To control funding for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.
Adopted
With no one objecting, no names recorded
Alex Padilla (D-CA)
National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025
S. 320 · Senate bill Emergency Management
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Held at the desk.
Passed one chamber, waiting for the other to take it up
Passed one chamber, and the other has not yet sent it to a committee or put it on its calendar.
The other chamber will hand it to a committee, place it on its calendar, or leave it where it is. Nothing has been decided, and a bill can sit here indefinitely.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- Passed Senate unanimous consent
- Awaiting House
The Senate by unanimous consent (no one objected, so there was no vote): no senator's position on it was recorded.
What this bill would do
This Act reauthorizes the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977. It updates findings to include updated economic exposure and loss estimates for earthquake damage. The legislation expands the scope of the program to include Tribal governments and focuses on building and infrastructure resilience. It emphasizes the importance of seismic retrofitting, evaluation, and functional recovery of the built environment. Additionally, the bill provides updated authorization of appropriations for various agencies through fiscal year 2028.
Yes· 3 of 12
- Scored +5
Would Native Americans be better off under this?
The bill expands the scope of the program to specifically include Tribal governments and jurisdictions.
- Scored +5
Does this put more money into scientific research?
The bill provides updated annual authorizations for scientific research through the USGS and NSF.
- Scored +4
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill specifically protects housing and care facilities for vulnerable populations against earthquake damage.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced Community Resilience: The bill expands the program to include Tribal governments and focuses on creating inventories of buildings and infrastructure that are critical to community resilience (Section 2).
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Improved Safety and Recovery: The Act emphasizes "functional recovery," which aims to ensure buildings and lifeline infrastructure can be restored to safely support their intended functions after an earthquake (Section s 4 and 5).
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Better Early Warning Systems: The bill aims to expand the earthquake early warning system to additional high-risk areas to increase the time between warning messages and ground motion (Section 5).
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Improved Emergency Communication: The legislation coordinates with the Federal Communications Commission to ensure earthquake alerts and early warnings are broadcast rapidly and reliably in the predominant languages of affected regions (Section 5).
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Support for Vulnerable Populations: The modification of purpose includes specific focus on housing and care facilities for vulnerable populations (Section 3).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Unincluded Costs in Valuations: The bill notes that the cost of actual seismic retrofits to reduce known risks is not included in certain existing earthquake hazard valuations (Section 2).
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Potential for Unfunded Mandates: The development of best practices, inventories, and technical assistance is subject to the availability of funds (Section 5).
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 Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill expands the scope of the program to specifically include Tribal governments and jurisdictions. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill's focus on protecting housing and care facilities for vulnerable populations benefits low-income communities. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The bill prioritizes the protection and recovery of care facilities used by vulnerable populations. Would people in cities be better off under this? — The bill improves early warning systems and infrastructure resilience in high-risk areas.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill provides updated annual authorizations for scientific research through the USGS and NSF.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make housing cost less? — The bill emphasizes the seismic performance of housing and care facilities for vulnerable populations. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — By protecting housing and care facilities, the bill helps safeguard the stability of vulnerable populations.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill specifically protects housing and care facilities for vulnerable populations against earthquake damage.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — The bill aims to reduce economic exposure to earthquake losses through better building resilience and early warning systems.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this repair or build roads and bridges? — The bill focuses on the resilience and functional recovery of lifeline infrastructure critical to community resilience.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires biennial reports to the interagency coordinating committee regarding progress on earthquake hazard reduction.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill coordinates with the FCC to ensure rapid and reliable broadcasting of earthquake emergency alerts.
- 1/7/2026
- Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Held at the desk.
- Received in the House.
- 1/5/2026
- Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S5-10)
- The committee substitute as amended agreed to by Unanimous Consent. (text of amendment in the nature of a substitute: CR S7-10)
- Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- 10/14/2025
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 119-74.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 183.
- 4/30/2025
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 1/29/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Lisa MurkowskiRepublican · Alaska