Whereas the growth and strength of the Nation depend on the safety, resilience, and sustainability of the homes, buildings, and infrastructure of the United States; Whereas confidence in the structural integrity of the buildings that make up our communities is achieved through the devotion of building safety and fire prevention officials, architects, engineers, builders, tradespeople, design professionals, laborers, plumbers, and others in the construction industry who work year-round to ensure safe construction; Whereas building code development in the United States is facilitated through a partnership between private sector, local, State, and Federal experts in the built environment, who have created and implemented the highest quality codes to protect us in the buildings where we worship, live, learn, work, and play; Whereas these modern building codes include safeguards to protect the public from natural disasters such as hurricanes, snowstorms, tornadoes, wildfires, floods, and earthquakes, which, according to a FEMA-supported study by the National Institute of Building Sciences, provide $11 in future mitigation benefits for every dollar invested; Whereas the International Code Council designates Building Safety Month each May to remind the public about the critical role of our State and local code officials, who assure us of safe, efficient, and livable buildings that are essential to the country’s prosperity; Whereas Building Safety Month encourages all Americans to raise awareness of the importance of safe and resilient construction, fire prevention, disaster mitigation, and new technologies in the construction industry; and Whereas Building Safety Month recognizes that the implementation of safety codes by local and State agencies has saved lives and protected homes and businesses: Now, therefore, be it