On April 19, 2022, FEMA updated its state and local mitigation planning policy guides to reflect “programmatic and administrative” regulatory changes. Such routine changes are made to “continually improve and better support stakeholders in meeting federal requirements when creating hazard mitigation plans.” And that ultimately equates to the ability to receive certain types of mitigation funding.
Changes to the state and local mitigation planning policy guides, as explained by FEMA, include:
- Inclusion of key priorities such as climate adaptation, equity, resilience, and building codes.
- Updated guidance and procedures that support states seeking enhanced status. (Enhanced states demonstrate a comprehensive mitigation program and capability to manage additional federal mitigation funding.)
- Incorporation of new FEMA grant programs, such as Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Post-Fire, and the Rehabilitation of High-Hazard Potential Dams Program.
- Strengthened connection with Fire Management Assistance Grant program.
- Alignment with national initiatives and programs such as the National Mitigation Investment Strategy.
- A renewed focus on resilience to support communities in creating holistic plans that will help the whole community understand the importance of mitigation and develop mitigation actions based on current and future risks and capabilities.
The policies, which are the official interpretation of the requirements in the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (as amended) and other federal statutes/regulations, will take effect for all mitigation plan approvals one year from the official release date. Accordingly, state and local governments have a one-year transition period to meet the new requirements.
To help you better understand the changes to the state and local mitigation planning guides, FEMA will host two external webinars.
Webinar #1, which will focus on state mitigation planning policy updates, will take place from 2:00-3:30 PM ET on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. Register in advance at https://www.fema.gov/event/updated-state-mitigation-planning-policy-review.
Webinar #2, which will focus on local mitigation planning policy updates, will take place from 2:00-3:30 PM ET on Thursday, May 12, 2022. To attend, register in advance at https://www.fema.gov/event/updated-local-mitigation-planning-policy-review-webinar.
In the meantime, visit FEMA’s Policy Update webpage to learn more.
