Congressional Action on Resilient Infrastructure: Areas of Progress and Future Needs

The document details how the 115th Congress integrated resilience into various sectors through legislation like the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, the Water Resources Development Act, and the National Defense Authorization Act. It highlights the rising economic costs of inaction, noting that 2017 alone saw $312.7 billion in disaster damages. The text emphasizes the shift toward pre-disaster mitigation, nature-based infrastructure, and the need for the 116th Congress to address energy grid resilience and National Flood Insurance Program reform.

• The economic cost of extreme weather in the U.S. is escalating, with 2017 recording a historic $312.7 billion in damages from 16 'billion-dollar' climate disasters, nearly one-third of all disaster costs since 1980.
• Investment in resilience provides a high return on investment, with data indicating that every $1 spent on resilience can save between $4 and $11 in future disaster costs.
• The Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) of 2018 shifted federal focus toward pre-disaster mitigation (PDM) and allows damaged structures to be rebuilt according to the most recent model codes and standards rather than those in place at the time of the disaster.
• The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2019 mandates that new DOD construction projects in 100-year floodplains must elevate 'non-mission critical' structures by two feet and 'mission critical' structures by three feet above projected floodwater levels.
• To combat 'fire-borrowing'—the practice of diverting forest management funds to cover wildfire suppression—the 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act established a wildfire disaster cap starting at $2.25 billion in FY2020 and rising to $2.95 billion by 2027.
• The U.S. government is increasingly utilizing nature-based features for risk reduction, with the 2016 Water Resources Development Act expanding the definition of these features beyond coastal areas to include projects nationwide.
• The 116th Congress is urged to prioritize the reform of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is currently financially insolvent and creates incentives for development in high-risk flood areas.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2019). Congressional Action on Resilient Infrastructure: Areas of Progress and Future Needs. https://www.eesi.org/files/IssueBrief_Resilient_Infrastructure.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Congressional Action on Resilient Infrastructure: Areas of Progress and Future Needs. 2019. https://www.eesi.org/files/IssueBrief_Resilient_Infrastructure.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Congressional Action on Resilient Infrastructure: Areas of Progress and Future Needs |date=April 2019 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/IssueBrief_Resilient_Infrastructure.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2019congressional, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Congressional Action on Resilient Infrastructure: Areas of Progress and Future Needs}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2019}, month = apr, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/IssueBrief_Resilient_Infrastructure.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }