Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 5855
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-10-28: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-09T22:33:35Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025 aims to improve public access to information on major natural disasters in the United States by requiring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create and maintain an online database and webpage tracking "billion-dollar disasters"—events costing at least $1 billion in direct and market damages.
Key Provisions
- Database and Webpage Establishment: NOAA's Administrator must set up and keep a publicly accessible database and webpage detailing each billion-dollar disaster occurring annually in the U.S.
- Content Requirements: For each disaster, the database must include:
- Estimated total cost.
- Type of disaster (e.g., storm, flood).
- Location.
- Date(s) of occurrence.
- Additional relevant details as determined by NOAA.
- Visual Features: The webpage must feature graphs and maps showing disaster trends over time and their distribution across the U.S., similar to those previously provided by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) from 1980 to 2024.
- Updates and Data Sources: The database must be updated at least every six months with new information, using NOAA's existing data and allowing collaboration with federal and non-federal partners (e.g., those involved in the prior database).
- Flexibility for Other Disasters: NOAA may add non-billion-dollar disasters if deemed useful.
- Archiving Previous Data: NOAA must preserve and update the old NCEI database (active until May 9, 2025) on its webpage for research and historical purposes.
- Definition: A "billion-dollar disaster" is defined as a storm or severe weather event causing $1 billion or more in combined direct costs (e.g., damage repairs) and market costs (e.g., economic losses), as assessed by NCEI.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill re-establishes a public-facing database following the apparent discontinuation of a similar NCEI resource in May 2025. It mandates ongoing maintenance and biannual updates, which were features of the prior system but ensures their continuation under formal legal requirement. Unlike the previous voluntary or administrative setup, this creates a statutory obligation for NOAA, with provisions for archiving historical data to prevent loss of records.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: NOAA will face increased responsibilities for data management, updates, and partnerships, potentially requiring modest resource allocation but building on existing capabilities to enhance transparency in federal environmental reporting.
- On Citizens: Provides free, easy-to-use online access to disaster data, helping individuals, communities, and businesses understand risks, trends, and costs related to weather events, which could inform personal preparedness or insurance decisions.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though improved U.S. disaster tracking could support global climate discussions by offering reliable data on weather-related economic losses.
- Broader Effects: May aid long-term disaster planning, research on climate change, and policy development by making historical and current data more accessible and visualized.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- NOAA and NCEI: Primary implementers responsible for building, updating, and maintaining the database.
- Public and Researchers: Benefit from open access to data for education, analysis, and advocacy on environmental issues.
- Federal and Non-Federal Partners: Entities like other government agencies, universities, or private organizations that previously collaborated on similar data, now potentially involved in contributions.
- Policymakers and Communities: Affected areas (e.g., disaster-prone regions) and lawmakers who use the data for funding, resilience strategies, or legislation on climate and emergency response.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Establishes a clear statutory duty for an executive agency (NOAA), enforceable through congressional oversight, without imposing new penalties or funding mandates, relying instead on existing agency resources.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's authority to regulate commerce and promote general welfare by addressing interstate economic impacts of disasters; no apparent conflicts with free speech or privacy rights, as it focuses on aggregated public data.
- Political: Promotes transparency in environmental and economic data, potentially influencing debates on climate policy and disaster funding by providing objective, visualized evidence of rising costs and frequencies, though it avoids prescriptive actions on causes like climate change.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18], Rep. Hoyle, Val T. [D-OR-4], Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3]
Recent Actions
- 2025-10-28: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
- 2025-10-28: Introduced in House
- 2025-10-28: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025 — issued 2025-10-28 — PDF (4 pages)