This bill adds a new Section 22 to the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 called "Ecosystem restoration projects." It defines an ecosystem restoration project as one meant to recover or improve natural functions of an aquatic resource or floodplain. The bill exempts requesters from paying a review or processing fee when asking for a flood insurance rate map change that is based on an ecosystem restoration project. It lets a community permit certain ecosystem restoration projects inside an adopted regulatory floodway even if the project increases the base flood elevation, if three conditions are met: (1) a professional engineer uses their best judgment and finds the project plus existing development will not raise water surface elevation of the base flood by more than 1 foot (or a different amount set by the Administrator); (2) no insurable structure or critical infrastructure would be adversely affected by the increase; and (3) the community submits an analysis of changed conditions to the FEMA Administrator within 180 days after project completion. The bill also says the rule for notifying a landowner about development in a regulatory floodway does not change. Finally, it requires the FEMA Administrator to issue guidance implementing this section within 180 days after enactment, after consulting federal and state natural resource agencies.
No publicly available information on costs or fiscal effects is included in the bill text provided.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.