Court Orders Restore BRIC Grants for Disaster Resilience

BRIC, the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program, was created to fund pre-disaster mitigation projects that strengthen roads, water systems and community shelters. In April 2025, FEMA announced it would end the BRIC program and cancel pending applications, a move that paused many planned projects and delayed funding to states and local governments.

Legal challenges followed. On August 5, 2025, a federal judge imposed a preliminary injunction that stopped the reallocation of BRIC funds, and on December 11, 2025 the court issued a final ruling that FEMA had acted unlawfully in terminating the program. The judge found that the agency’s termination ran afoul of statutory limits and cited procedural failings under the Administrative Procedure Act and concerns about separation of powers. In a March 6, 2026 enforcement order the court set firm deadlines: FEMA must report the status of awarded and pending projects and issue the FY2024 BRIC notice of funding opportunity within 21 days.

These orders relate to roughly $4 billion that Congress had designated for hazard mitigation; as a result, state officials and applicants expect the agency to reopen grant processes and clarify project timelines. Nevertheless, the court’s rulings do not itself pick winners or direct specific awards; they require FEMA to restore a lawful process so that states may apply and projects can move forward. Consequently, local governments that paused planning can prepare to resume work, and communities awaiting resilience upgrades should watch for the agency’s notices and timelines. Stakeholders, including state emergency managers and local planners, will need clear schedules and guidance so projects can access federal funds and begin construction.