Statement: NCARS bill supports better disaster planning and response

WASHINGTON D.C., July 17, 2026 - New legislation introduced by Representatives Peters and Salazar and Senators Coons and Murkowski would create a unified national strategy for disaster planning, consolidating government disaster planning efforts to promote efficiency and improve resilience.

"This bipartisan legislation could make an enormous impact for disaster planning," said Will McDow, Associate Vice President of Flood Resilience at Environmental Defense Fund, a science-based nonprofit. "By creating a unified national strategy, we can support communities and families working to protect their own safety and livelihoods while saving taxpayer money on future disaster spending. With disasters increasing in frequency and severity, replacing the current fragmented federal approach with a unified, coordinated strategy is more important now than ever."

Today's bill introduction aligns with Environmental Defense Fund's long-standing advocacy for a holistic, all-hands-on-deck approach to build lasting resilience to the ever-increasing toll of natural disasters.