SAFE Rural Act

Targeted Support for Vulnerable Communities: The bill provides dedicated funding for rural communities, Tribal lands, and territories that face heightened vulnerabilities due to limited tax bases and aging infrastructure (Section 2, Findings).

Increased Flood Resilience through Infrastructure: Funds can be used for the construction or restoration of flood-resilient public infrastructure, including bridges, culverts, drainage systems, and levees (Section 7, subsection (5)(A)(i)).

Environmental and Nature-Based Benefits: The act supports nature-based solutions such as floodplain and wetland restoration, living shorelines, and upland reforestation to reduce runoff (Section 5; Section 7, subsection (5)(A)(iii)).

Reduced Financial Burden via Predisaster Investment: Targeted support for flood mitigation is intended to measurably reduce long-term Federal disaster expenditures (Section 2, Findings).

Streamlined Grant Processes for Small Communities: The bill mandates a streamlined application process for small project subgrants (under $500,000) to help those with limited administrative capacity (Section 10, subsection (3)).

Capacity Building for Local Governments: The CAP-MIT grant program is designed to assist communities with preparing and submitting hazard mitigation grant applications (Section 7, subsection (7)(B)(ii)).

Requirement for Local Funding Shares: Project subgrants generally require a non-Federal share of not less than 25 percent, which may pose a burden for some entities (Section 7, subsection (6)(B)(i)).

Strict Maintenance Obligations: To receive subgrants for certain projects, entities must submit an operations and maintenance plan that includes a responsible party and a funding source for long-term costs (Section 7, subsection (5)(B)(i)).

Administrative Retention Limits: Recipients are limited to retaining no more than 5 percent of allocated funds for administration, outreach, and monitoring (Section 7, subsection (4)(A)(ii)).