State Sovereignty & Adaptive Resilience Act
Prepare for floods, fires, and droughts BEFORE disaster strikes. States decide how—not Washington. Self-repaying loans, not debt. Zero zoning mandates.
🛡️ What Does This Bill Do?
Disasters are getting worse—floods, wildfires, droughts. We spend BILLIONS cleaning up AFTER disasters. What if we spent money getting READY instead? This bill creates State Resilience Loan Funds—states borrow to build seawalls, fire breaks, and water storage. Loans get paid back, so the money keeps working! States decide what to build. The federal government can't tell cities how to zone. $50 BILLION from rescinded unspent funds—no new debt!
🚨 Why We Need Resilience NOW
🏛️ Four Pillars of Resilience
State Sovereignty
States decide. No zoning mandates. Ever.
Revolving Loans
Self-repaying. Money keeps working.
Coastal Protection
Sea walls, wetlands, flood barriers
Interior Resilience
Wildfire, drought, dam modernization
🏛️ State Sovereignty: ZERO Zoning Mandates
The Tenth Amendment reserves land use to the states. Washington can't tell your city how to zone!
No Direct Orders
Feds CAN'T command any zoning ordinance
No Density Mandates
No forced density, ADUs, or multi-family
No Coercion
Can't threaten to withhold other funds
100% Voluntary
States choose whether to participate
🔄 Revolving Loan Funds: Money That Keeps Working
States borrow, build resilience infrastructure, pay back the loans—and the money gets loaned out again!
💵 Low/Zero Interest
Below-market rates, even interest-free for some projects
📅 30-Year Terms
Long payback periods match project life
🏘️ Disadvantaged Priority
Up to 30% forgiveness for vulnerable communities
♻️ Perpetual Fund
Repayments keep the fund going forever
🌊 Coastal Adaptation: Rising Seas, Ready States
Nature-based solutions, hard infrastructure, and strategic planning—states choose what works!
Nature-Based
Wetlands, oyster reefs, dunes—zero/low interest
Hard Infrastructure
Seawalls, levees, tide gates, flood barriers
Voluntary Buyouts
Acquire flood-prone properties willingly
Elevation
Raise critical infrastructure above flood levels
🔥 Interior Resilience: Fire, Flood, Drought
Wildfires, rivers, and dry spells—inland states face different threats, get tailored solutions!
Wildfire
Fuel breaks, vegetation management, utility hardening
Flood Control
Reservoirs, detention basins, dam modernization
Drought
Aquifer storage, water recycling, precision irrigation
Agriculture
Soil health, irrigation efficiency, crop resilience
💰 Paid For: No New Debt
Funded by rescinding unspent ARPA and IRA balances—not borrowing!
Rescission
Unspent ARPA/IRA funds redirected
No Deficit
Spending can't exceed deposits
No Borrowing
No Treasury loans allowed
Self-Financing
Loan repayments keep it going
🛡️ Built-In Protections
100% Voluntary
No state required to participate. No penalty for opting out.
Anti-Commandeering
Feds can't order states to pass laws (Murphy v. NCAA).
No Zoning Surveillance
No databases to score or grade local zoning.
State Safe Harbor
Feds give maximum deference to state priorities.
GAO Reviews
Periodic independent evaluation of effectiveness.
10-Year Sunset
New grants terminate unless Congress reauthorizes.
🛡️ Prepare, Don't React
Every dollar spent preparing for disasters saves $6 in cleanup. But Washington keeps spending AFTER disasters instead of BEFORE. This bill flips the script: $50 billion in revolving loan funds for states to build seawalls, fire breaks, water storage, and flood protection. States decide what to build—zero zoning mandates, ever. Loans get paid back, so the fund keeps working forever. Funded by rescinding unspent money, not new debt. That's fiscal responsibility. That's state sovereignty. That's showing your work.
Gregory Burgess for Congress
No Party Preference • California's 2nd Congressional District
"Show Your Work" Campaign