This Legislation Will Allow Extreme Heat Events To Qualify For Major Disaster Declaration
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced legislation to expand access to resources and funding to address the damages and losses resulting from extreme heat, particularly in communities like Las Vegas and Reno, which are the two fastest warming cities in the United States. The Extreme Heat Emergency Act would allow extreme heat to qualify as a major disaster under the Stafford Act, which recognizes fires, floods, explosions, and natural catastrophes such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes as disasters eligible for a Major Disaster Declaration from the President. This legislation comes in the wake of record-breaking temperatures in Nevada that have caused concerns for the health and well-being of families. Earlier this month, Senator Rosen visited a cooling center in Las Vegas to discuss the need for federal resources to protect against extreme heat.
“The extreme heat waves this summer have brought record-breaking temperatures to our state, putting communities and people at risk,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m introducing legislation to ensure more funding and resources are available to states like Nevada for damages related to extreme heat events. I’ll always work to ensure our state gets the fair share of federal resources we need to keep Nevadans safe.”
Senator Rosen has been leading the fight to ensure that Nevadans have access to federal resources to stay safe during natural disasters. After last year’s winter storms, Senator Rosen urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency to assist impacted Nevada farmers and ranchers and successfully pushed President Biden to provide more resources and heed Governor Lombardo’s call to issue a Major Disaster Declaration for Nevada. Senator Rosen has also called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide federal assistance to address extreme heat in Nevada.
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