S. 320 · Passed Senate · Emergency Management

National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025

Sponsor: Alex Padilla (D-CA)

What it does

• Reauthorizes the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program through fiscal year 2028.
• Expands the program to cover secondary effects of earthquakes, such as tsunamis and fires, and hazards that occur together.
• Directs the four program agencies to improve post-earthquake functional recovery of buildings and lifeline infrastructure such as water, electricity, and transportation.
• Requires the agencies to help public entities inventory and evaluate the seismic performance of high-risk infrastructure.

Official summary

National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) and expands the activities federal agencies must conduct under the program, including activities relating to secondary effects of earthquakes and post-earthquake infrastructure performance. NEHRP is a coordinated earthquake hazards reduction program of four federal agencies: the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the National Science Foundation. Under NEHRP, these agencies are required to conduct various activities relating to earthquakes, including advancing warning systems, hazard reduction measures, and research to improve understanding of earthquakes and their effects. The bill expands the scope of the activities under NEHRP, including requiring the agencies to improve understanding of and develop resilience measures for secondary effects and multiple hazards associated with earthquakes, such as tsunamis and fires; improve post-earthquake functional recovery, which means maintaining or restoring the pre-earthquake…

Latest action

Jan 7, 2026: Held at the desk.

Committee: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation