Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, along with attorneys general from 19 other states and the governor of Pennsylvania, has won a lawsuit against the Trump Administration regarding the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The BRIC program is designed to help communities prepare for natural disasters before they occur.
Attorney General Neronha stated, “For the fourth time in three weeks, we have successfully defended the American people from the harms their federal government wishes to inflict. These wins have meant continued funding for programs that support victims of sexual assault and domestic violence; continued support for crucial agencies upon which Americans rely; continued development of wind energy; and now, continued funding for disaster mitigation. And that’s just within the last month. We will continue to fight on behalf of Rhode Islanders, and Americans everywhere, to prevent the Trump Administration’s worst instincts from coming to fruition.”
The court found that FEMA’s decision to end the BRIC program violated Congress’ authority since Congress had funded it. The judge also ruled that FEMA’s actions breached several constitutional provisions, including Separation of Powers, as well as federal law under the Administrative Procedures Act.
As a result of this decision, FEMA must restore funding for the BRIC program so that communities depending on these resources can continue their disaster preparedness efforts.
Joining Attorney General Neronha in this legal action were attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
