Salazar, Curtis offer bipartisan, bicameral bill to bolster U.S. protections against natural disasters

Bipartisan, bicameral legislation introduced last week by U.S. Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and John Curtis (R-UT) would establish a federal strategy to increase resiliency and protect Americans from natural disasters.

Rep. Salazar sponsored the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security (NCARS) Act of 2023, H.R. 6311, alongside three original cosponsors, including Rep. Curtis and U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA). U.S. Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Susan Collins (R-ME) on the same day unveiled the identical S. 3261 in their chamber.

“Miami communities are at risk and are ground-zero for rising waters,” Rep. Salazar said. “We must come together to protect Florida families and improve disaster planning. I’m proud to lead the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security Act to ensure we build stronger infrastructure and keep our communities safe.”

Currently, the federal government has a siloed approach to disaster mitigation and preparedness, with duplicative efforts spread across at least 17 federal agencies, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.

“Utahns are deeply concerned about the number of bad air quality days caused by fire in our state,” said Rep. Curtis. “I am proud to be working with a bipartisan group of my colleagues, in both the House and Senate, to develop a strategy that consolidates all federal efforts to enhance our state’s resiliency.”

At the same time, advance preparation would be fiscally responsible, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which says that every dollar invested in climate resilience saves roughly $6 when disaster strikes.

If enacted, the NCARS Act would set a National Adaptation and Resilience Strategy and an Implementation Plan with federal, state, local, private sector, and non-profit partners; establish a chief resilience officer in the White House to implement the plan; create interagency working groups to streamline efforts and ensure accountability; and set up a federal information hub to streamline resilience resources to communities, the summary says.

“Having a chief resilience officer in the White House, advised by a non-federal partners council, will improve accountability and fiscal responsibility in disaster preparedness, following the model of nearly a dozen states, including Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina,” said Sen. Coons. “Resilience is critical not only for Delaware, but for Americans in frontline communities across the nation.”

The NCARS Act has been endorsed by several entities, including Pew Charitable Trusts, The Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Center for Climate and Security, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, and the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers.

Additionally, more than 500 local leaders in all 50 states have signed letters supporting NCARS, according to the lawmakers’ offices.