Congress orders NOAA to restore public disaster-cost database
H.R. 5855 — Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025 · Filed by Joe Neguse (D-CO) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Oct 28, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires NOAA to create and maintain a public database and webpage tracking major disasters in the U.S. that cost $1 billion or more annually. The database must include cost estimates, disaster type, location, dates, and visual maps showing disaster patterns over time—restoring a public tracking tool that NOAA had maintained from 1980 to May 2025 but discontinued.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is to mandate public disclosure of disaster-cost data through a NOAA database and webpage. It is a transparency and accountability measure with no private beneficiaries, no carve-outs, and no hidden riders.
What the text implies
- Restoring the database may increase public and media scrutiny of disaster frequency and costs, potentially driving demand for climate adaptation and disaster-preparedness funding.
- The bill references a specific URL (www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/) that was active until May 9, 2025, suggesting the database was recently discontinued—the bill's timing may reflect a response to that removal.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Citizens gain access to transparent, centralized information about the true cost and frequency of major disasters, enabling better understanding of climate and disaster risk, informed civic participation, and accountability for disaster preparedness and response. The bill imposes no restrictions on citizens' rights or remedies.
Named in the bill
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), U.S. Congress (119th)
Where it stands
3 cosponsors: 3 Democrats.
- Oct 28, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Oct 28, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (2,696 characters) on May 21, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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