I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3955 

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance 

Act to authorize the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to release a local government from certain land restrictions 

imposed under the hazard mitigation program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 5, 2015 

Mr. BLUM introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the Administrator of 

the Federal Emergency Management Agency to release 

a local government from certain land restrictions imposed 

under the hazard mitigation program, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Small Municipality 

5 Flood Relief Act of 2015’’. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 3955 IH

1 SEC. 2. HAZARD MITIGATION PROGRAM. 

2 Section 404(b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Re3 lief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c(b)) 

4 is amended— 

5 (1) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para6 graph (4); and 

7 (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol8 lowing: 

9 ‘‘(3) AUTHORITY TO REMOVE GRANT CONDI10 TIONS.—A recipient of assistance for an acquisition 

11 or relocation project shall be released from any re12 striction imposed with respect to a parcel of property 

13 under an agreement entered into under paragraph 

14 (2)(B) if— 

15 ‘‘(A) the local government that has juris16 diction over the property submits to the State 

17 a request for the release; 

18 ‘‘(B) the request is made more than 5 

19 years after the date of the closeout of the acqui20 sition or relocation project; 

21 ‘‘(C) on the date of the request, the parcel 

22 is not in an area designated by the Adminis23 trator, for purposes of the National Flood In24 surance Program, as an area having special 

25 flood hazards; 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 3955 IH

1 ‘‘(D) the local government certifies that no 

2 coercion took place against the original property 

3 owner in acquiring the parcel; 

4 ‘‘(E) the State in which the parcel is lo5 cated approves the request and submits to the 

6 Administrator, not later than 60 days after the 

7 date of receipt of the request, a recommenda8 tion for approval of the request; 

9 ‘‘(F) the local government— 

10 ‘‘(i) repays to the Administrator the 

11 amount of hazard mitigation assistance re12 ceived from the Federal Government under 

13 paragraph (1) for the acquisition or reloca14 tion project; or 

15 ‘‘(ii) substitutes for the property a dif16 ferent parcel of property that— 

17 ‘‘(I) has at least 2 times the 

18 acreage of the original property; 

19 ‘‘(II) is subject to the same re20 strictions imposed under paragraph 

21 (2)(B); 

22 ‘‘(III) will not be subject to the 

23 authority to remove the grant condi24 tions provided under paragraph (3); 

25 and 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 3955 IH

1 ‘‘(IV) is determined to be as cost2 effective; and 

3 ‘‘(G) the Administrator gives final approval 

4 to the request.’’. 

Æ 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with BILLS