Bill Overview
Title: Empowering Resilient Local Communities Act
Description: This bill addresses issues involving extreme temperature and resilience, as well as impacts on underserved communities. Specifically, the bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to issue guidance related to extreme temperature events and resilience goals. It requires hazard mitigation plans to address resilience and disparate impacts on underserved communities. The Government Accountability Office must evaluate and issue to Congress and FEMA a report regarding the impacts of wildfire smoke and poor indoor air quality, the challenges posed to FEMA in addressing wildfire smoke and indoor air quality, and recommendations for FEMA to better provide assistance to communities and individuals in dealing with wildfire smoke and indoor air quality. FEMA must submit to Congress a report regarding the challenges posed by its requirements for declaring an incident or determining the cost effectiveness of mitigation activities and specifically how such requirements may disproportionately burden small impoverished communities, or specific vulnerable populations within communities.
Sponsors: Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [D-OR-3]
Target Audience
Population: people affected by extreme temperature events, underserved communities, and populations at risk from wildfires and poor air quality
Estimated Size: 150000000
- This bill is focused on increasing the resilience of local communities to natural disasters and extreme weather events.
- It highlights underserved communities as a primary focus, who often face greater impacts from such events due to limited resources and infrastructure.
- The bill involves the evaluation of the impact of wildfire smoke and poor indoor air quality, indicating it will affect communities in areas prone to wildfires.
- It also mentions challenges faced by small impoverished communities, suggesting a focus on low-income populations.
Reasoning
- Extreme weather events have become more common, and this policy focuses on building resilience in communities that are often less equipped to handle these challenges.
- Underserved and impoverished areas often lack the resources and infrastructure to adequately address issues like poor air quality due to wildfires or extreme heat, which can have severe health implications.
- The policy's emphasis on evaluating challenges for small impoverished communities indicates its targeted approach towards helping these vulnerable populations.
- By integrating this policy, the aim is to improve the well-being of these communities over time by providing better guidance, support, and resources.
Simulated Interviews
Elementary School Teacher (Phoenix, Arizona)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I worry about my kids and students during the summer months when the temperature rises.
- Better air conditioning in schools and community centers during heatwaves would really help.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Volunteer Firefighter (Redding, California)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our area sees a lot of wildfires. It's tough on the lungs and health of everyone around here.
- We need better resources to deal with the smoke and clean air initiatives.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Nurse (Miami, Florida)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The heat is unbearable at times and leads to a lot of emergency cases.
- Any policy that helps manage heat effects would help us greatly in healthcare.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Retired (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
Age: 60 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I live on a limited income, and air quality here can get really bad during wildfires.
- The policy could help vulnerable people like me dealing with smoke without much financial means.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 2 |
Warehouse Worker (Chicago, Illinois)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Working conditions can get tough during heatwaves.
- Policy can help bring about better workplace guidelines for extreme temperatures.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 3 |
Environmental Scientist (Houston, Texas)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Houston faces serious flooding issues, so extreme weather planning is crucial.
- The policy could help better integrate local knowledge into FEMA's plans.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
College Student (Portland, Oregon)
Age: 22 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's hard to breathe during wildfire season, with poor air quality everywhere.
- FEMA’s support in addressing air quality issues would be a huge help.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Community Organizer (New York, New York)
Age: 56 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy could really address the housing and community issues we face, especially during heatwaves.
- We need more robust plans and advocacy for these vulnerable populations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
Factory Worker (Detroit, Michigan)
Age: 41 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We work in conditions that can get extreme, pushing limits.
- Policy could improve workplace safety during extreme weather, benefitting my workers and me.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 2 |
Retired Teacher (Boulder, Colorado)
Age: 65 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Wildfires create a lot of stress due to smoke and fear.
- FEMA's improved support would be life-changing for me and my neighbors.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 2 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 2 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 2 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $150000000 (Low: $120000000, High: $180000000)
Year 2: $160000000 (Low: $125000000, High: $190000000)
Year 3: $170000000 (Low: $130000000, High: $200000000)
Year 5: $190000000 (Low: $150000000, High: $230000000)
Year 10: $250000000 (Low: $200000000, High: $300000000)
Year 100: $300000000 (Low: $240000000, High: $350000000)
Key Considerations
- The initial implementation will focus on creating and disseminating new guidelines and reports, which requires upfront costs.
- Identifying and targeting underserved communities to build resilience requires precise data collection and specific interventions.
- Wildfire and air quality initiatives must be region-specific due to geographical variations in impact.