The Empowering Resilient Communities Act directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop new guidance and requirements focused on helping communities prepare for and recover from disasters, particularly extreme temperature events like heat waves and freezes. The bill redefines "high need communities" as smaller communities with high disaster risk and requires states and local governments to incorporate resilience goals into their hazard mitigation plans over a five-year period, including strategies that address impacts on underserved populations and use nature-based solutions. FEMA must issue guidance on extreme temperature events within one year, hire additional staff to provide technical assistance, and report progress to Congress every five years, while the Government Accountability Office will conduct separate reports on extreme temperatures and wildfire smoke impacts. The bill also authorizes FEMA to coordinate with other federal agencies like the EPA and Department of Transportation and to allow communities that adopt the latest building codes greater flexibility in how they use disaster assistance funds. Within two years, FEMA must report to Congress on how its cost-effectiveness requirements may disproportionately burden small communities, with recommendations for updates due within five years.
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