This legislation, titled the "National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025," reauthorizes the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, updating its findings and purposes to reflect current understanding of earthquake risks. It expands the program's scope to explicitly include Tribal governments alongside state and local entities, recognizing their vulnerability and role in hazard reduction. New findings highlight that almost half of the U.S. population is at risk of damaging earthquakes, with annualized losses estimated at $14.7 billion and total economic exposure at $107.8 trillion.

A key modification is the introduction and emphasis on "functional recovery," defined as restoring buildings and infrastructure to their pre-earthquake functions safely and adequately. The bill mandates the development of standards, guidelines, and codes that incorporate post-earthquake recovery objectives, focusing on reoccupancy and minimizing downtime for critical community assets. It also requires the creation of best practices for inventorying and evaluating high-risk structures and provides technical assistance to governments for retrofitting.

The bill significantly enhances the earthquake early warning system by requiring its expansion to additional high-risk areas and improvements to detection and warning times. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is tasked with coordinating with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure rapid, reliable, and multi-language broadcasting of alerts. Furthermore, the USGS will coordinate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on data sharing for oceanic earthquakes and tsunamis, and issue earthquake forecasts for aftershocks.

Program activities are broadened to improve understanding of multiple earthquake-related hazards, including liquefaction, tsunamis, landslides, and structural fires, as well as the compounding effects of climate on these hazards. FEMA's responsibilities are expanded to promote seismic safety and functional recovery, provide technical assistance for evacuation plans, and educate the public, including Tribal entities, on hazard reduction. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) also see updated roles in research and mapping.

Finally, the bill authorizes appropriations for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program and its constituent agencies for fiscal years 2024 through 2028. This includes $8.5 million annually for the general program, $92.427 million annually for the USGS (with $36 million specifically for the Advanced National Seismic System), $54 million annually for the NSF, and $5.9 million annually for NIST. These funds are intended to support the program's expanded activities and ensure the implementation of recommendations for improving the built environment's post-earthquake performance.