Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, along with a coalition of 20 states, has won a lawsuit against the Trump Administration regarding its attempt to halt funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The BRIC program aims to help communities prepare for natural disasters by strengthening infrastructure before disasters occur.
The BRIC initiative has operated for three decades, providing resources that allow state, tribal, and local governments to mitigate risks from natural disasters rather than only focusing on recovery after such events. Projects funded through BRIC include constructing evacuation shelters, building flood walls, safeguarding utility grids from wildfires, protecting water infrastructure, and reinforcing bridges and roadways.
Attorney General Campbell stated: “Today’s court order will undoubtedly save lives by preventing the federal government from terminating funding that helps communities prepare for and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters. This decision sends a clear message that the Trump Administration must not abandon state and local communities, and I won’t stop fighting to protect our residents from the federal government’s abuses of power.”
Following Hurricane Katrina, Congress required FEMA to support mitigation as one of four core functions—alongside preparation, response, and recovery. The court found that FEMA’s abrupt move to end the BRIC program represented an unlawful reduction in these responsibilities and violated Congressional intent. The judge determined that FEMA’s actions breached legal principles including Separation of Powers as well as clauses related to appropriations and administrative procedures.
Over the last four years, nearly 2,000 projects have received about $4.5 billion in BRIC funding across the United States. In Massachusetts specifically, this funding supports climate resilience planning in Boston neighborhoods; bridge upgrades in Manchester-by-the-Sea; flood protection for transportation tunnels connecting Logan Airport; drought prevention in Clarksburg; coastal flood projects in Chelsea and Everett; and hazard mitigation planning throughout various communities.
Attorney General Campbell co-led this lawsuit with Washington Attorney General Nick Brown. Other participating states included Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont Wisconsin as well as Pennsylvania’s governor.
