This bill lets the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) waive or reduce certain environmental and historic-preservation requirements for some hazard mitigation projects. "Covered projects" are property acquisition, structure demolition, or relocation projects paid for with assistance under: Stafford Act section 404, Stafford Act section 203, or the National Flood Insurance Act section 1366 (flood mitigation assistance).
The bill lists many statutes and rules that FEMA may waive or reduce, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, floodplain and wetlands executive orders, the Coastal Zone Management Act, the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, the Farmland Protection Policy Act, CERCLA, RCRA, and other environmental or historic-preservation rules FEMA deems appropriate.
Before using the waiver authority, FEMA must consult appropriate state and local officials and any other people the Administrator chooses. That consultation period may be no more than 30 days. The Administrator must consider factors such as the recovery needs of people and communities, the potential for serious environmental issues, whether a property has lost historic value because of damage, and whether a prior environmental or historic review nearby is sufficient.
The bill also modifies a line in Stafford Act section 404(b)(1) to replace the phrase "property acquisition and relocation assistance" with "property acquisition and structure demolition or relocation assistance." FEMA must issue a report to Congress not later than 1 year after enactment and annually for 5 years. Each report must summarize reasons for waivers, how waivers affected the property acquisition process, whether additional waiver authority is recommended, and any other matters the Administrator finds appropriate. Finally, FEMA must write regulations to carry out the law.
If you live in an area eligible for FEMA hazard mitigation assistance, this bill would allow FEMA to speed up certain buyouts, demolitions, or relocations by shortening or waiving some environmental and historic-preservation reviews. FEMA would still need to consult state and local officials for up to 30 days before using the waiver. FEMA would also report to Congress each year for 5 years about its use of the authority.
No publicly available information.
The bill authorizes FEMA to waive or reduce environmental and historic-preservation requirements for covered projects to expedite property acquisition, structure demolition, and relocation carried out with specific FEMA or flood-mitigation assistance.
No publicly available information.