Coalition Letter on S. 3531, the “National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy Act”

Dear Chairman Peters and Ranking Member Portman:

The undersigned organizations strongly support S. 3531, the “National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy Act.” Elevating resilience as a national priority has been among our top priorities. We have long called for solutions including a national resilience strategy and a chief resilience officer as important tools to do so.

To further improve the legislation, we recommend the following:

· Add predisaster mitigation and lifeline infrastructure as specific areas of focus for the strategy. We recommend that the strategy emphasize predisaster mitigation in addition to post disaster approaches. The legislation should also align the strategy with existing predisaster programs such as BRIC, the STORM Act, and IIJA provisions and include eligible hazards consistent with these programs.

· Identify small business contingency planning as one way to engage small, disadvantaged communities. Sixty-five percent of small businesses have no continuity plans in place. The strategy should catalyze planning among small businesses in small and disadvantaged communities ahead of the next disaster.

· Call for specific coordination with current sustainability and resilience planning across the federal government. The release of the federal agency resilience planning that is proceeding under various executive orders and other federal action should be leveraged.

· Incentivize and institutionalize resilience and predisaster mitigation. The bill should ensure that the strategy incentivizes funding, technical assistance, and other benefits to states and communities in implementing predisaster mitigation, including natural infrastructure and other nature-based solutions.

· Promote regional and state solutions. The bill should also encourage, incentivize, and prioritize multi-state/regional approaches to predisaster mitigation for multiple hazards, such as drought.

We look forward to working with you and the bill’s sponsors to advance this important bipartisan and bicameral legislation.

Sincerely,

American Council of Engineering Companies

American Society of Civil Engineers

American Society of Landscape Architects

Build Strong Coalition

City Parks Alliance

Ecological Restoration Business Association

Interstate Council on Water Policy

Mississippi Rivers Cities and Towns Initiative

National Association of Counties

National League of Cities

National Recreation and Park Association

Reinsurance Association of America

The Nature Conservancy

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

cc: Members of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs