Update: FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Funding
This article gives an update on FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Funding and discusses what the International Code Council is doing to help.
In April 2025, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) halted funding for the Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program.
While the program remains on hold, individual states and members of Congress are actively pressuring FEMA to resume funding for pre-disaster mitigation projects nationwide.
BRIC Termination Lawsuit
On July 16, twenty states filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s decision to terminate the BRIC program. The complaint argues that FEMA lacks the authority to terminate the BRIC program as Congress had already appropriated funding for BRIC initiatives, including building code implementation, education and enforcement.
The courts have not yet issued a ruling on this lawsuit.
Legislative Response: Save BRIC Act
On May 7, Representative Rob Bresnahan Jr. (R-PA), in partnership with Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ), introduced the Save BRIC Act, which would require FEMA to disburse BRIC funding for previously approved projects.
On June 24, the House Appropriations Committee approved a Department of Homeland Security funding bill for Fiscal Year 2026 (October 1, 2025-September 30, 2026). The bill includes provisions similar to the Save BRIC Act and reflects Congress’s frustration over the funding freeze.
Reform Proposal: Fixing Emergency Management for Americans Act
On July 24, a bipartisan group of members of Congress introduced the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025. While the bill does not direct FEMA to resume awards under the current BRIC program, it proposes a significant shift in how future BRIC funding is allocated.
Under the proposed legislation, BRIC funding would transition from a competitive grant model to a formula based distribution. The formula would consider each state’s vulnerability to natural hazards, overall population and rural population density.
ICC Advocacy
The International Code Council’s (ICC) Government Relations team is actively working with stakeholders inside and outside of Congress to encourage FEMA to fund previously approved BRIC projects. ICC is also advocating for a dedicated percentage of future BRIC funding to be set aside for building code-related activities.
If you have any questions or for further information, please contact ICC’s Vice President of Federal Relations, Aaron Levy (alevy@iccsafe.org).
About the Author
The International Code Council is a nonprofit association that provides a wide range of building safety solutions, including product evaluation, accreditation, certification, codification and training. It develops model codes and standards used worldwide to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.
