SAN FRANCISCO—New legislation under consideration of city officials would require thousands of property owners to retrofit their older, collapse-prone buildings to improve their chances of surviving a major earthquake. If it passes, the legislation could mean $60,000 to $130,000 of repairs for the average affected property owner, says the San Francisco Chronicle. The measure was introduced Tuesday by Mayor Ed Lee.

After more than a decade of work, the city is trying to ensure that identified housing for about 58,000 residents and businesses employing 7,000 workers could withstand a major temblor by forcing property owners to make seismic upgrades.

"We've been talking for years and years about doing something, and our voluntary retrofit program doesn't seem to work for everyone because the work is not getting done," Supervisor Scott Wiener, told the paper. He is one of the main co-sponsors of the legislation, which is backed by a majority of the 11—member Board of Supervisors.