HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania has joined 19 other states in a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s termination of a key Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program aimed at disaster preparedness.
The legal action comes in response to the administration’s April decision to end the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program, redirecting more than $4 billion in pre-disaster mitigation funds to the Disaster Relief Fund. This shift effectively canceled 47 planned projects across Pennsylvania, all part of the state’s Enhanced Hazard Mitigation Plan.
State Sen. Katie Muth, Democratic Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness Committee, condemned the move, citing rising threats from climate-related disasters and infrastructure vulnerabilities.
“These extreme weather events are more frequent and more powerful,” said Muth. “Stormwater management and flood protection and prevention projects have never been more important.”
Muth, who has worked closely with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), emphasized the importance of proactive infrastructure investments to mitigate long-term risks from floods, storms, and other environmental hazards.
The BRIC program was designed to support efforts that reduce disaster risk before emergencies occur, funding everything from flood control systems to wildfire prevention measures. Its termination, critics argue, undercuts the nation’s ability to prepare for and adapt to increasingly volatile climate conditions.
Muth called the Trump Administration’s decision “an act of gross negligence” and “another unconstitutional overreach.” She stressed that taxpayers should not have to sue their own government to access critical mitigation funding.
The lawsuit marks a growing pushback from states seeking to reinstate federal support for long-term hazard mitigation, a resource advocates say is vital to protecting communities from escalating climate threats.
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