The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has reopened applications for its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, making $1 billion available for disaster preparedness projects. The move comes less than three weeks after a federal judge ordered FEMA to restore the funding, which was canceled in April 2025 by then-acting leader Cameron Hamilton, who called the program "wasteful and ineffective." The BRIC program helps states, local governments, territories, and tribes fund projects to protect against natural hazards like floods, hurricanes, and wildfires.
FEMA’s acting leader, Karen S. Evans, stated that "when done correctly, mitigation activities save lives and reduce the cost of future disasters." The program’s resumption follows a December 2025 court ruling in favor of a coalition of 22 Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C., which sued the Trump administration over the cancellation.
Background & Context
The Trump administration had slashed disaster preparedness funding across multiple FEMA programs, with no hazard mitigation funding approved in the past year. The BRIC cancellation halted $3.6 billion in projects, drawing bipartisan criticism. A CBS News investigation found that the cuts disproportionately affected counties that voted for Trump in the 2024 election, with two-thirds of impacted counties supporting the president.
New Rules & Policy Shifts
While the program has resumed, FEMA imposed new rules that align with the Trump administration’s push to shift more disaster management responsibility to states. The agency now emphasizes proactive infrastructure-focused mitigation over reactive post-disaster spending. Critics argue the changes may limit flexibility for local governments.
Political & Legal Reactions
The resumption was met with relief from lawmakers and disaster response advocates, though some questioned whether the new restrictions would undermine the program’s effectiveness. The court order and bipartisan backlash played a key role in reversing the cancellation.