Court Order Restoring Disaster Mitigation Funding
Summary
Massachusetts AG Andrea Joy Campbell and 23 states secured a court order requiring FEMA to restore billions in disaster mitigation funding. The order compels FEMA to reverse the termination of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, which had been previously declared unlawful.
What changed
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, leading a coalition of 23 states, has secured a court order compelling the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reinstate billions of dollars in funding for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. This order follows a previous ruling in December 2025 that declared FEMA's termination of the program unlawful. The coalition filed a motion to enforce the December order on February 17, 2026, after the Trump Administration provided no indication of compliance.
This court order mandates that FEMA promptly take all necessary steps to reverse the termination of the BRIC program and restore funding. The BRIC program has historically provided essential resources for communities to fortify infrastructure against natural disasters, saving lives and reducing property damage. Regulated entities and government agencies that rely on this funding should anticipate its restoration and may need to adjust project planning accordingly. The ruling highlights the critical importance of adhering to previous court mandates and underscores the potential for legal action against agencies failing to comply with such orders.
What to do next
- Monitor FEMA communications regarding the restoration of BRIC program funding.
- Review previously delayed or cancelled mitigation projects for potential re-initiation.
- Ensure compliance with any updated program guidelines or application procedures once funding is restored.
Source document (simplified)
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Press Release
Press Release AG Campbell Secures Court Order Requiring Trump Administration To Restore Billions In Disaster Mitigation Funding
For immediate release: 3/06/2026
- Office of the Attorney General
Media Contact
Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary
Phone
Call Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary at (617) 727-2543
Online
Email Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary at Allie.Zuliani@mass.gov
Boston — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and a coalition of 23 states today secured a court order requiring the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to promptly take steps necessary to reverse the termination the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Program (BRIC) and restore billions in funding to communities relying on them. The decision follows a motion filed by the coalition to compel FEMA to comply with a previous court order from December.
For the past 30 years, the BRIC program has provided communities across the nation with resources to proactively fortify their infrastructure against natural disasters. By focusing on mitigation and community resilience, the program has saved lives, reduced injury, protected property, and saved money that would have otherwise been spent on post-disaster costs.
“Today’s order will allow critical mitigation projects that protect us against floods, wildfires, power outages, and other disasters to proceed and bring urgently needed relief to communities across the country. But let's be clear: the Trump Administration should have complied with the original court order in December instead of ignoring the law and leaving communities vulnerable to these disasters in the meantime,” said AG Campbell. “I will continue to stand up against this Administration’s unlawful actions, especially when they threaten the safety and security of our residents.”
On July 16, 2025 AG Campbell and the coalition filed a lawsuit to prevent FEMA from terminating its BRIC program – an action which had already delayed, scaled back, and cancelled hundreds of mitigation projects across the country that depend on this funding. On December 11, 2025, the coalition won their case. The court declared the termination of this congressionally mandated program unlawful and ordered FEMA to promptly take all steps necessary to reverse the termination. On February 17, 2026, the coalition filed a motion asking the District of Massachusetts to enforce its December 11 order, as the Trump Administration had offered no indication that it had complied with the order at that point. Today, the court sided with the coalition and granted its requested relief.
Today’s order requires FEMA to make pre-disaster mitigation funds available as required by statute, communicate the status of current BRIC projects to the states, and file status reports with the court outlining any actions taken or planned to comply with the order. The order also requires FEMA to issue a fiscal year 2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity for the BRIC program within 21 days.
Over the past four years, FEMA has selected nearly 2,000 projects to receive roughly $4.5 billion in BRIC funding nationwide. Communities across the Commonwealth have been awaiting BRIC funds for planning and implementing climate proofing for vulnerable Boston neighborhoods, bridge upgrades in Manchester-by-the-Sea, flood protection efforts for the Blue Line tunnel connecting Logan Airport to Boston, flood and drought protection in Clarksburg, a major coastal flood resilience project in Chelsea and Everett, and critical local hazard mitigation planning for communities across the state, among other essential projects.
Joining AG Campbell in securing this order, which she co-led with Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, the governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Media Contact
Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary
+
Phone
Call Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary at (617) 727-2543
Online
Email Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary at Allie.Zuliani@mass.gov
Office of the Attorney General
The Attorney General is the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Media Contact
Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary
Phone
Call Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary at (617) 727-2543
Online
Email Allie Zuliani, Deputy Press Secretary at Allie.Zuliani@mass.gov
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