Washington, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-01), the Ranking Member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, and Congressman Greg Stanton (AZ-04) introduced the Extreme Weather and Heat Response Modernization Act to empower the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to better address extreme heat and to provide communities with more resources, including cooling centers, to keep people safe during extreme heat events.

“Extreme heat events kill more people annually than hurricanes and tornadoes combined, and emergency room visits for heat-related illnesses are on the rise,” said Rep. Titus. “While steps have been taken in recent years, more needs to be done to improve emergency responses to this deadly threat. My bill will provide FEMA with the flexibility to expand its suite of mitigation measures against extreme heat, including cooling centers. It will also require guidance so communities have the certainty they need to plan for the future.”

“In Arizona, we know all too well that extreme heat can be deadly. Strengthening and expanding FEMA’s capacity to help state and local governments respond to more frequent and intense heat waves is a common-sense step that will save lives,” said Rep. Stanton.

“As Emergency Manager for the City of Las Vegas, I want to thank Congresswoman Titus for introducing the Extreme Weather and Heat Response Mitigation Act,” said Carolyn Levering, Emergency Manager for the City of Las Vegas. “As Las Vegas endured a record-breaking temperature of 120 degrees over this holiday weekend, it makes sense that our traditional response to extreme weather events, especially extreme heat, should be reviewed to more carefully consider the effects of these events on our critical infrastructure, public health, and overall economy. Passage of this act will support important studies and make resources more accessible to our region and across the country to help local emergency management response efforts better prepare for and more effectively combat the effects of extreme weather events, especially the extreme heat of the summer months in desert southwest areas like Las Vegas. Thank you Congresswoman Titus for your leadership in bringing greater focus to this critical issue for our residents and yours.”   

Background

Statistics show that the Summer of 2023 was the deadliest for extreme heat, especially in the Southwest where five states, including Nevada, recorded more heat-related deaths than any other previous year on record. According to weather indicators, the number of extreme heat events per year has increased in frequency and intensity, showing no signs of letting up.

Over the 4^th of July weekend, nearly 130 million people were under some sort of extreme heat threat, and temperatures in Southern Nevada reached a local record of 120 degrees. As heat-related illnesses and hospitalizations continue to increase, communities need more resources to protect individuals, including the ability to set up cooling centers to help vulnerable people maintain a safe body temperature.

The legislation is supported by the City of Las Vegas, National Association of Counties (NACo), National League of Cities, Natural Resources Defense Council, Desert Research Institute, BuildStrong America, IBEW Local 357, United Steelworkers

A Section by Section of the bill can be found here.

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