Salazar Introduces Shelter Act to Strengthen Miami’s Disaster Resilience

Washington, D.C. - This week, Representatives Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) and Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.), alongside U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Shelter Act to help families and small businesses protect their homes and properties from future natural disasters and combat rising insurance costs. The legislation would create a first-of-its-kind disaster mitigation tax credit for families and business owners in disaster-prone areas.

"A single storm shouldn't be able to erase a lifetime of work. The Shelter Act empowers families and small businesses to fortify their property before disaster strikes, making our communities safer, stronger, and more resilient," said Salazar. "Miami families know the cost of preparedness all too well, and this bill helps ensure they're not facing those challenges alone."

"Coloradans are all too familiar with increasingly devastating wildfires and other natural disasters that threaten their homes and businesses and drive up insurance costs," said Bennet. "We can't focus solely on helping communities recover after these disasters. Congress must do more to help them prepare. This bill helps taxpayers invest in tools and materials to safeguard their homes, businesses, and families from natural disasters before they occur."

"Everybody in my state has lost someone or something they love because of flooding. This is another tool for families to minimize that loss," said Cassidy.

"In Colorado, wildfire season has become a year-round problem and extreme weather events continue to harm more communities every year," said Pettersen. "Our small businesses and families shouldn't have to pay the price for the costly impact of wildfires, especially when rising costs are already squeezing Coloradans. As we combat the climate crisis, one of the best things we can do is make sure people can protect their homes and businesses before disaster strikes."

The Shelter Act allows Americans to write off 25 percent of qualifying mitigation expenses, up to $3,750 per taxpayer, to help homes and businesses reinforce their properties against natural disasters such as flood, wildfire, hail, and wind. This would be the first-ever federal tax incentive to help families and businesses invest in disaster resilience and mitigation ahead of time, helping offset the hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars spent on natural disaster recovery each year.

The Shelter Act is supported by: National Institute of Building Sciences, Colorado Resiliency Office, National Association of Realtors, National Association of Home Builders, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, Fire Adapted Colorado, Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative, Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), Reinsurance Association of America (RAA), and Satellite Condominiums LLC.

The text of the bill is available HERE. A summary of the bill is available HERE.