I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8637 

To make protection against damage and loss resulting from the erosion 

and undermining of shorelines available under the National Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 5, 2024 

Mr. MURPHY (for himself, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. ROUZER, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. 

D’ESPOSITO, Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina, and Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To make protection against damage and loss resulting from 

the erosion and undermining of shorelines available 

under the National Flood Insurance 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 ‘‘Preventing Environ5 mental Hazards Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FLOOD INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR STRUCTURES 

2 ON LAND SUBJECT TO IMMINENT COLLAPSE 

3 OR SUBSIDENCE. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1306 of the National 

5 Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4013) is amended 

6 by adding at the end the following new subsection: 

7 ‘‘(e) EROSION COVERAGE.— 

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If any structure covered by 

9 a contract for flood insurance under this title and lo10 cated on land that is along the shore of a lake or 

11 other body of water is condemned or deemed unsafe 

12 for habitation by a State or local authority due to 

13 imminent collapse or subsidence as a result of shore14 line erosion or determined by a State or local au15 thority to be situated partially or wholly over water, 

16 a shoreline bluff, or escarpment, or below Mean 

17 Higher High Water on tidal waterbodies (regardless 

18 of whether as a result of long-term, chronic erosion 

19 or as a result of waves or currents of water exceed20 ing anticipated cyclical levels), the Administrator 

21 shall (following final determination by the Adminis22 trator that the claim is in compliance with regula23 tions developed pursuant to paragraph (7)(A)) pay 

24 amounts under such flood insurance contract for 

25 proper demolition or relocation as follows: 


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1 ‘‘(A) DEMOLITION.—For proper demoli2 tion— 

3 ‘‘(i) following final determination by 

4 the Administrator, 40 percent of the value 

5 of the structure; and 

6 ‘‘(ii) following demolition of the struc7 ture (including any septic containment sys8 tem) within 6 months of payment under 

9 clause (i) and prior to collapse, the remain10 ing 60 percent of the value of the structure 

11 or the actual cost of demolition, whichever 

12 amount is less. 

13 ‘‘(B) RELOCATION.—For proper relocation 

14 (including removal of any septic containment 

15 system) if the owner chooses to relocate the 

16 structure, following final determination by the 

17 Administrator, prior to collapse, up to 40 per18 cent of the value of the structure; except that 

19 the total payment under this subparagraph 

20 shall not exceed the actual cost of relocation. 

21 ‘‘(2) COLLAPSE OR SUBSIDENCE.—If any struc22 ture subject to a final determination under para23 graph (1) collapses or subsides, or a period of six or 

24 more months elapses, before the owner demolishes or 

25 relocates the structure and the Administrator deterVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:32 Jul 22, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8637.IH H8637

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1 mines that the owner has failed to take reasonable 

2 and prudent action to demolish or relocate the struc3 ture, the Administrator shall not pay more than the 

4 amount provided in paragraph (1)(A)(i) with respect 

5 to the structure. 

6 ‘‘(3) VALUE OF STRUCTURE.—For purposes of 

7 paying flood insurance pursuant to this subsection, 

8 the value of a structure shall be whichever of the fol9 lowing is lowest: 

10 ‘‘(A) The fair market value of a com11 parable structure that is not subject to immi12 nent collapse or subsidence. 

13 ‘‘(B) The price paid for the structure and 

14 any improvement to the structure, as adjusted 

15 for inflation in accordance with an index deter16 mined by the Administrator to be appropriate. 

17 ‘‘(C) The value of the structure under the 

18 flood insurance contract issued pursuant to this 

19 title. 

20 ‘‘(4) COVERAGE TERMS.— 

21 ‘‘(A) MAXIMUM CLAIM.—Notwithstanding 

22 any provision of this subsection, the amount 

23 paid under a flood insurance contract in con24 nection with any claim under this subsection 

25 may not exceed the lesser of— 


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1 ‘‘(i) the amount of coverage under the 

2 flood insurance contract for the structure; 

3 or 

4 ‘‘(ii) $250,000. 

5 ‘‘(B) EXCLUSION OF LOSS OF CON6 TENTS.—Flood insurance coverage under this 

7 subsection shall not cover any loss of or damage 

8 to any contents of a structure. 

9 ‘‘(5) APPLICABILITY.— 

10 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The provisions of this 

11 subsection shall apply to contracts for flood in12 surance under this title that are in effect on, or 

13 entered into after, the date of the enactment of 

14 this subsection. 

15 ‘‘(B) COVERAGE ON CERTIFICATION

16 DATE.— The provisions of this subsection shall 

17 not apply to any structure not subject to a con18 tract for flood insurance under this title on the 

19 date of a certification under paragraph (1). 

20 ‘‘(C) PERIOD OF COVERAGE.—The provi21 sions of this subsection shall not apply to any 

22 structure unless the structure is covered by a 

23 contract for flood insurance under this title— 


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1 ‘‘(i) for a period of 12 months on or 

2 before the date of the enactment of this 

3 Act; or 

4 ‘‘(ii) for a continuous period of 4 

5 years prior to certification under para6 graph (1). 

7 ‘‘(6) TERMINATION OF COVERAGE.—For any 

8 structure that is subject to a final determination 

9 under paragraph (1), no subsequent flood insurance 

10 coverage under this title or assistance under the Dis11 aster Relief Act of 1974 (except emergency assist12 ance essential to save lives and protect property, 

13 public health and safety) shall be available for the 

14 same structure, or a different structure on any re15 maining portions of the parcel of land originally af16 forded assistance under this subsection. 

17 ‘‘(7) REGULATIONS.— 

18 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator 

19 shall promulgate regulations and guidelines to 

20 implement this subsection. 

21 ‘‘(B) APPLICABILITY.—Prior to issuance of 

22 regulations regarding the State and local cer23 tifications pursuant to paragraph (1), all provi24 sions of this subsection shall apply to any struc25 ture that— 


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1 ‘‘(i) otherwise meets the requirements 

2 of this subsection; and 

3 ‘‘(ii) is imminently threatened by 

4 shoreline erosion, regardless of whether as 

5 a result of long-term, chronic erosion or as 

6 a result of waves or currents of water ex7 ceeding anticipated cyclical levels.’’. 

8 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

9 this section shall become effective on the date of the enact10 ment of this Act. 

Æ 


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