Earthquake Safety Bill Mandates Retrofitting Focus, Boosts Early Warning Funding to $100.9M Through 2028

The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 is essentially the federal government’s updated playbook for dealing with major earthquakes. This bill reauthorizes the program for another five years (through Fiscal Year 2028) and, critically, shifts the focus from simply planning for new construction to actively addressing the massive safety risks posed by older buildings across the country. It formalizes a few key updates, including setting the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) funding authorization at $100.9 million annually and requiring at least $36 million of that to go toward finishing the Advanced National Seismic System (the early warning network).

The Shift from Building New to Fixing Old

If you own property or live in an area with older infrastructure (which is most of us), this bill makes a significant change in federal priorities. The official findings now recognize that the annual cost of earthquake damage is a staggering $14.7 billion. To combat this, the law expands its scope from just "construction" to include "evaluation, and retrofitting" of existing structures. This isn't just bureaucratic language; it means federal programs must now prioritize developing guidelines and offering technical assistance to local governments (including Tribal governments, which are now explicitly included everywhere) to identify and fix high-risk buildings.

Imagine you live in a multi-story apartment building built decades ago. Under the old rules, the focus was on making sure the next building built down the street was safe. Under this reauthorization, federal agencies like FEMA and NIST must now actively help your local city council create an inventory of buildings like yours and find cost-effective ways to strengthen them. This is a direct response to the reality that older codes pose a "significant risk of injury, loss of life, or irreparable damage," a point the bill explicitly highlights.

Faster Warnings and Better Recovery

For anyone living on the West Coast or near other seismic zones, the early warning system is a game-changer, but it needs funding and better coordination. This bill tackles that directly. The USGS is now mandated to coordinate with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure earthquake alerts are broadcast as fast and reliably as possible, and in the main languages of the affected area. This is about maximizing those critical seconds of warning time, which could be the difference between getting under a desk and getting injured.

Furthermore, the bill strengthens the concept of “Functional Recovery.” This new definition is key: after an earthquake, it’s not enough for a building to simply be structurally sound; it must be safe and working well enough to support the basic activities it was used for before the quake. This means when planning for hospitals, schools, and critical infrastructure, the goal is now getting them back online quickly, not just keeping them from collapsing. FEMA’s role is now explicitly tied to improving this post-earthquake functional recovery, which should lead to quicker returns to normal life after a disaster.

Who Pays and Who Benefits?

One major beneficiary is any Tribal government, which is now formally included in every aspect of the program, from getting technical assistance on retrofitting to being consulted on early warning system improvements. The bill also specifically prioritizes protecting "housing and care facilities for vulnerable populations."

However, the increased focus on evaluation and retrofitting could eventually translate to costs for property owners and local governments. While the federal government offers guidance and technical help, the actual implementation of seismic upgrades often falls to local jurisdictions or private owners. The bill requires agencies to develop best practices for identifying high-risk structures, but only "provided funds are available." This small caveat means that if Congress doesn't follow through with the necessary appropriations, these critical safety improvements could be delayed, leaving those older buildings vulnerable while the federal government is technically off the hook.

Overall, this reauthorization is a strong, modernized step forward. It acknowledges the real-world financial risk posed by earthquakes and focuses federal resources on the most immediate problem: the structures already standing. It’s a pragmatic update that should lead to faster warnings and a quicker return to normalcy when (not if) the next big shake happens.