Overview

• U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns issued a preliminary injunction on August 5 to prevent FEMA from reallocating $4 billion approved by Congress for the BRIC program.
• A coalition of 20 Democrat-led states sued in July, contending that FEMA lacks authority to terminate the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities initiative and repurpose its grants.
• Stearns ruled that FEMA’s cancellation of new funding opportunities and notifications to stakeholders demonstrated an intent to end the mitigation program without legislative approval.
• Since its creation in 2018, BRIC has funded more than 2,000 projects—from levees and flood walls to grid upgrades—aimed at lowering future disaster costs and saving lives.
• The lawsuit remains pending, and the injunction holds the funds in reserve until the court issues a final judgment, with FEMA able to seek emergency access only under extraordinary disaster conditions.