119-HR-5855 Journalist Public Summary

Headline Summary

The bill tells NOAA to bring back and maintain a public database and webpage that track every U.S. weather disaster costing at least $1 billion—reviving the popular visuals and maps and updating them at least twice a year. [1]Congress.gov — H.R.5855 — 119th Congress: Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act o…

What It Does

- Requires NOAA to run a public database and webpage listing each billion‑dollar U.S. disaster, with cost estimates, type, location, and dates, and to update it no less than twice a year. - Brings back NCEI‑style charts and maps (like those used from 1980–2024) and keeps the earlier archive online for research. - Lets NOAA include other notable disasters (even if under $1B) when appropriate; defines a “billion‑dollar disaster” as $1B+ in combined direct and market costs. [1]Congress.gov — H.R.5855 — 119th Congress: Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act o…[4]Congress.gov — S.2775 — 119th Congress: Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of…

Why It Matters

NOAA’s long‑running “billion‑dollar disasters” updates stopped after the 2024 tally, removing a widely used yardstick for understanding where and how costly weather hits communities. Restoring a standardized, regularly updated federal source would help homeowners, local officials, insurers, and researchers plan for risks and track trends. At the same time, some analysts have criticized the old dataset’s methods, so the debate is about transparency and rigor as much as access. [2]Associated Press — AP News: NOAA will stop updating its Billion-Dollar Disaster…[3]Washington Post — Washington Post: NOAA will stop updating database tracking co…

These figures come from NOAA’s 1980–2024 dataset and recap of 2024. [5]NOAA NCEI — NOAA NCEI: Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (United Sta…[6]NOAA Climate.gov (archived) — NOAA Climate.gov (archived): 2024 billion‑dollar…

Who’s For It

• House sponsors: Reps. Joe Neguse (CO), Zoe Lofgren (CA), Val Hoyle (OR), and Sarah Elfreth (MD) say the public needs clear, consistent cost data on disasters. [1]Congress.gov — H.R.5855 — 119th Congress: Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act o…
• Senate companion: Led by Sen. Peter Welch (VT) with Democratic cosponsors including Sens. Bennet, Markey, Van Hollen, Merkley, Blumenthal, Reed, Whitehouse, Booker, Smith, Sanders, Wyden, and Heinrich, who argue the database is essential for preparedness and smart spending. [7]Congress.gov — S.2775 — 119th Congress: Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of…[8]U.S. Senate (Bennet) — Sen. Michael Bennet press release: Bill to restore NOAA’…

Who’s Against It

• As of October 29, 2025, no formal opposition statements are recorded on the bill’s page; debate so far centers on whether NOAA should run and regularly update this dataset. [1]Congress.gov — H.R.5855 — 119th Congress: Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act o…
• Context from prior NOAA decision: the agency cited evolving priorities and staffing when it halted updates after 2024, and some researchers have criticized the dataset’s transparency and methods—arguments that could surface against the bill. [3]Washington Post — Washington Post: NOAA will stop updating database tracking co…

What’s Next

In the House, the bill was introduced on October 28, 2025 and sent to the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, where hearings or a markup would be the next steps. A similar Senate bill (S.2775) is in the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. [1]Congress.gov — H.R.5855 — 119th Congress: Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act o…[9]Web search · turn 3 #1