H.R. 5855: Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025
Sponsor
Joe Neguse
Democrat · CO-2
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Oct 28, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Why it matters
This matters now because the bill would require NOAA to restore and keep updating a public record of U.S. disasters costing at least $1,000,000,000 after the prior National Centers for Environmental Information webpage was available only until May 9, 2025.
The bill does leave NOAA some flexibility. The Administrator may include disasters that do not hit the $1,000,000,000 threshold if they determine doing so is appropriate. And NOAA must maintain and update information from the previously existing disaster database on the National Centers for Environmental Information webpage for archiving and research purposes, preserving a historical record that explicitly references the 1980 through 2024 period.
What does H.R. 5855 do?
NOAA must track every $1,000,000,000 disaster
The bill requires the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish and maintain a public database and webpage with information on each billion-dollar disaster occurring each year in the United States. It defines a qualifying event as a storm or severe weather event causing $1,000,000,000 or more in combined direct costs and market costs, as determined by the National Centers for Environmental Information.
Required updates at least biannually
NOAA must update the database and webpage not less frequently than biannually. That creates a minimum recurring update schedule rather than leaving the disaster record to occasional or ad hoc publication.
Each entry must list cost, type, location, dates
For every billion-dollar disaster, the database must include the estimated cost, the type of disaster, the location of the disaster, and the date or dates of the disaster. The NOAA Administrator may also add any other information they consider appropriate.
Maps and graphs must mirror 1980-2024 NCEI tools
The database must include visual graphs and mapping features showing disaster trajectories and distribution across the United States. Those visuals must be similar, if not identical, to the features produced by NCEI from 1980 through 2024 and available at www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/ until May 9, 2025.
Older disaster records must be archived
The Administrator must maintain and update information from the previously existing disaster database on the National Centers for Environmental Information webpage for archiving and research purposes. This preserves historical continuity tied to the 1980 through 2024 reference period.
NOAA may add smaller disasters too
Even though the main threshold is $1,000,000,000, the bill gives the NOAA Administrator discretion to include disasters that do not meet the billion-dollar mark if the Administrator determines that inclusion is appropriate. NOAA may also use data available to it and collaborate with Federal and non-Federal partners.
Who benefits from H.R. 5855?
Researchers and climate data analysts
They would get a maintained public dataset covering U.S. billion-dollar disasters, including estimated cost, type, location, and date or dates, plus archived information from the older NCEI database spanning the 1980 through 2024 reference period.
State and local emergency planners
They would gain access to biannual or more frequent updates, plus mapping features and disaster trajectory visuals that can help compare patterns across the United States and plan for future storm and severe weather risks.
Journalists and the general public
They would have a public NOAA webpage that puts all qualifying disasters in one place using a clear threshold of $1,000,000,000 or more in combined direct costs and market costs, instead of relying on scattered reports.
Universities and historical archives users
They benefit from the requirement that NOAA maintain and update the previous disaster database on the National Centers for Environmental Information webpage for archiving and research purposes, especially for long-term studies covering 1980 through 2024.
Who is affected by H.R. 5855?
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOAA is the main agency affected because its Administrator must establish and maintain the public database and webpage, update them not less frequently than biannually, and oversee archiving of the older NCEI material.
National Centers for Environmental Information
NCEI is directly affected because the bill relies on its determination of whether a storm or severe weather event reached the $1,000,000,000 threshold and requires NCEI-style visuals similar to those available until May 9, 2025.
Federal and non-Federal data partners
These partners may be drawn into NOAA's work because the bill says the Administrator shall use available data and may collaborate with Federal and non-Federal partners to support the disaster database.
Communities hit by major storms and severe weather
Their disasters would be publicly cataloged when costs reach $1,000,000,000 or more, with location and date details included in a national database. Even some disasters below that level could be included if the Administrator decides it is appropriate.
H.R. 5855 Common Questions
What counts as a billion-dollar disaster under HR 5855?
Under the Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025, it means a storm or severe weather event causing at least $1,000,000,000 in combined direct and market costs, as determined by NCEI (Section 2(g)).
How often would NOAA have to update the billion-dollar disaster database?
NOAA must update the public database and webpage at least twice a year under the Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025 (Section 2(b)).
Can NOAA include disasters that cost less than $1 billion?
Yes. Under the Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025, the NOAA Administrator may include sub-$1 billion disasters if the Administrator decides it is appropriate (Section 2(e)).
What information would NOAA have to list for each billion-dollar disaster?
According to HR 5855 Section 2(c)(1), each entry must include the estimated cost, disaster type, location, and the date or dates, plus any other information NOAA finds appropriate.
Does HR 5855 require NOAA to bring back the old NCEI billion-dollar disasters page?
Yes. Under the Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025, NOAA must maintain and update the previously existing NCEI disaster database for archiving and research (Section 2(f)).
What years of NOAA disaster records would be preserved under the bill?
The bill preserves and updates the previously existing NCEI disaster database covering the 1980 through 2024 period for archiving and research purposes (Section 2(f)).
Does the NOAA disaster database have to include maps and graphs?
Yes. Under the Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025, the database must include visual graphs and mapping features showing disaster trajectories and distribution across the U.S. (Section 2(c)(2)).
Does HR 5855 apply to disasters outside the United States?
No. Under the Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025, the public database covers billion-dollar disasters occurring each year in the United States (Section 2(a)).
Would NOAA's new disaster maps have to match the old NCEI tools?
Yes. HR 5855 says the visual features must be similar, if not identical, to the NCEI tools used from 1980 through 2024 and available until May 9, 2025 (Section 2(c)(2)).
Can NOAA use outside partners to calculate and track disaster costs?
Yes. According to HR 5855 Section 2(d), the Administrator may use available data and collaborate with Federal and non-Federal partners to build and update the database.
Based on H.R. 5855 bill text
HR5855 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Oct 28, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
About the Sponsor
Joe Neguse
Democrat, Colorado's 2nd congressional district · 7 years in Congress
Committees: Natural Resources, Rules, the Judiciary
View full profile →
Cosponsors (3)
All 3 cosponsors are Democrats. Cosponsors represent 3 states: California, Maryland, Oregon.
Committee Sponsors
Science, Space, and Technology Committee
1 of 38 committee members cosponsored
16 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
H.R. 5855 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Science, Space, and Technology
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Introduced
- Oct 28, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Oct 28, 2025
Official Sources
Official Congress.gov page for the Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025.
This is the NCEI disaster-tracking page the bill references as the model for the restored public database and archived records.
Official repository for federal legislative and government documents that can provide the enrolled or printed bill text and related materials.
H.R. 5855 Bill Text
“To require the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish and maintain a database and webpage that is available to the public and contains information on the billion-dollar disasters that occur each year in the United States, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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