S. 320, National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025

S. 320 would amend the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 to make changes to the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, an interagency program focused on reducing earthquake-related risks to life and property. S. 320 also would authorize appropriations of $161 million annually for fiscal years 2025 through 2028 for the U.S. Geological Survey, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to implement the program.

Additionally, the bill would require the agencies to develop best practices to assist state, local, and tribal governments with creating inventories of critical buildings and structures, and with developing evacuation plans and expanding early warning systems. The agencies also would be required to report to the Congress every two years about activities related to the program.

CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted near the end of fiscal year 2025 and that the authorized amounts will be provided for each year beginning in 2025. In 2024, the agencies allocated $164 million for the program from funds provided in the appropriation acts for that year. Based on historical spending patterns, CBO estimates that reauthorizing the program would cost $596 million over the 2025-2030 period and $29 million after 2030, assuming appropriation of the authorized amounts.

The costs of the legislation, detailed in Table 1, fall within budget functions 250 (general science, space, and technology), 300 (natural resources and environment), 370 (commerce and housing credit), and 450 (community and regional development).

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Kelly Durand. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.