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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Requires communities that have many repeatedly flooded properties to identify flood-prone areas, assess flood risk, make and carry out plans to reduce flood damage, and report progress publicly and to Congress. FEMA must give affected communities relevant data, write rules to implement the new requirements, may consider compliance when awarding grants, and may impose sanctions for noncompliance.
Introduced April 30, 2025 by Tim Scott · Last progress April 30, 2025
Defines “covered community” as a community that (i) participates in the National Flood Insurance Program under section 1315 and (ii) contains either: (I) at least 50 repetitive loss structures (each with at least 2 flood insurance claims totaling more than $1,000 during any 10-year period), (II) at least 5 severe repetitive loss structures for which approved mitigation activities have not been conducted, or (III) a public or private nonprofit facility that received Stafford Act section 406 assistance for repair/restoration for more than one flood event during the most recent 10-year period.
Defines “severe repetitive loss structure” by reference to the meaning in section 1366(h).
Require the Administrator, by regulation, to have covered communities determine the areas within the community where repeatedly damaged properties or flood-damaged facilities are located to identify repeatedly damaged areas.
Require covered communities, with assistance from the Administrator, to assess the continuing risks to the repeatedly damaged areas identified.
Require covered communities to develop a community-specific plan for mitigating continuing flood risks to the repeatedly damaged areas.
Local governments in flood-prone areas will bear the primary burden: they must identify repeatedly flooded zones, perform risk assessments, create and carry out mitigation plans, and report progress. That will require staff time, technical work, planning, and likely local spending for actions such as buyouts, elevation projects, drainage improvements, or zoning changes. Homeowners and renters in affected areas will be directly affected by any mitigation actions (e.g., buyouts, relocations, stricter building standards) and will benefit over time from reduced flood risk. FEMA grant applicants may see grant decisions influenced by their compliance status, creating a financial incentive to comply; however, the law does not specify new direct federal funding to cover local costs, so communities may need to reallocate budgets or seek existing grants. Public utilities and community infrastructure may be prioritized in plans and could require upgrades. Overall, the policy aims to reduce future flood damage and federal disaster costs but may create near-term administrative and fiscal pressure on local governments and residents unless additional funding is provided.
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Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Introduced in Senate