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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1938 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1938

  To provide for the reviewing, updating, and maintenance of National 
       Flood Insurance Program rate maps, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 2, 2007

   Mr. Reed introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
    referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
  To provide for the reviewing, updating, and maintenance of National 
       Flood Insurance Program rate maps, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Flood Mapping Act of 
2007''.

SEC. 2. TECHNICAL MAPPING ADVISORY COUNCIL.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a council to be known as 
the Technical Mapping Advisory Council (in this section referred to as 
the ``Council'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Council shall consist of the 
        Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (in 
        this Act referred to as the ``Administrator''), or the designee 
        thereof, and 14 additional members to be appointed by the 
        Administrator or the designee of the Administrator, who shall 
        be--
                    (A) the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and 
                Atmosphere (or the designee thereof);
                    (B) a member of a recognized professional surveying 
                association or organization;
                    (C) a member of a recognized professional mapping 
                association or organization;
                    (D) a member of a recognized professional 
                engineering association or organization;
                    (E) a member of a recognized professional 
                association or organization representing flood hazard 
                determination firms;
                    (F) a representative of the United States 
                Geological Survey;
                    (G) a representative of recognized professional 
                association or organization representing State 
                geographic information;
                    (H) a representative of State national flood 
                insurance coordination offices;
                    (I) a representative of the Corps of Engineers;
                    (J) the Secretary of the Interior (or the designee 
                thereof);
                    (K) the Secretary of Agriculture (or the designee 
                thereof);
                    (L) a member of a recognized regional flood and 
                storm water management organization;
                    (M) a member of a regulated lending institution; 
                and
                    (N) a member of a flood insurance servicing 
                company.
            (2) Qualifications.--Members of the Council shall be 
        appointed based on their demonstrated knowledge and competence 
        regarding surveying, cartography, remote sensing, geographic 
        information systems, or the technical aspects of preparing and 
        using flood insurance rate maps.
    (c) Duties.--The Council shall--
            (1) recommend to the Administrator how to improve in a 
        cost-effective manner the--
                    (A) accuracy, general quality, ease of use, and 
                distribution and dissemination of flood insurance rate 
                maps and risk data; and
                    (B) performance metrics and milestones required to 
                effectively and efficiently map flood risk areas in the 
                United States;
            (2) recommend to the Administrator mapping standards and 
        guidelines for--
                    (A) flood insurance rate maps; and
                    (B)  data accuracy, data quality, data currency, 
                and data eligibility;
            (3) recommend to the Administrator how to maintain on an 
        ongoing basis flood insurance rate maps and flood risk 
        identification;
            (4) recommend procedures for delegating mapping activities 
        to State and local mapping partners;
            (5) recommend to the Administrator and other Federal 
        agencies participating in the Council--
                    (A) methods for improving interagency and 
                intergovernmental coordination on flood mapping and 
                flood risk determination; and
                    (B) a funding strategy to leverage and coordinate 
                budgets and expenditures across Federal agencies; and
            (6) submit an annual report to the Administrator that 
        contains--
                    (A) a description of the activities of the Council;
                    (B) an evaluation of the status and performance of 
                flood insurance rate maps and mapping activities to 
                revise and update flood insurance rate maps, as 
                required under section 3; and
                    (C) a summary of recommendations made by the 
                Council to the Administrator.
    (d) Chairperson.--The members of the Council shall elect 1 member 
to serve as the chairperson of the Council (in this section referred to 
as the ``Chairperson'').
    (e) Coordination.--To ensure that the Council's recommendations are 
consistent, to the maximum extent practicable, with national digital 
spatial data collection and management standards, the Chairperson shall 
consult with the Chairperson of the Federal Geographic Data Committee 
(established pursuant to OMB Circular A-16).
    (f) Compensation.--Members of the Council shall receive no 
additional compensation by reason of their service on the Council.
    (g) Meetings and Actions.--
            (1) In general.--The Council shall meet not less frequently 
        than twice each year at the request of the Chairperson or a 
        majority of its members, and may take action by a vote of the 
        majority of the members.
            (2) Initial meeting.--The Administrator, or a person 
        designated by the Administrator, shall request and coordinate 
        the initial meeting of the Council.
    (h) Officers.--The Chairperson may appoint officers to assist in 
carrying out the duties of the Council under subsection (c).
    (i) Staff.--
            (1) Staff of fema.--Upon the request of the Chairperson, 
        the Administrator may detail, on a nonreimbursable basis, 
        personnel of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist 
        the Council in carrying out its duties.
            (2) Staff of other federal agencies.--Upon request of the 
        Chairperson, any other Federal agency that is a member of the 
        Council may detail, on a non-reimbursable basis, personnel to 
        assist the Council in carrying out its duties.
    (j) Powers.--In carrying out this section, the Council may hold 
hearings, receive evidence and assistance, provide information, and 
conduct research, as it considers appropriate.
    (k) Report to Congress.--The Administrator, on an annual basis, 
shall report to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of 
the Senate, the Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
Representatives, and the Office of Management and Budget on the--
            (1) recommendations made by the Council; and
            (2) actions taken by the Federal Emergency Management 
        Agency to address such recommendations to improve flood 
        insurance rate maps and flood risk data.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL FLOOD MAPPING PROGRAM.

    (a) Reviewing, Updating, and Maintaining Maps.--The Administrator, 
in coordination with the Technical Mapping Advisory Council established 
under section 2, shall establish an ongoing program under which the 
Administrator shall review, update, and maintain National Flood 
Insurance Program rate maps in accordance with this section.
    (b) Mapping.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the program established 
        under subsection (a), the Administrator shall--
                    (A) identify, review, update, maintain, and publish 
                National Flood Insurance Program rate maps with respect 
                to--
                            (i) all areas located within the 100-year 
                        floodplain;
                            (ii) all areas located within the 500-year 
                        floodplain;
                            (iii) areas of residual risk (defined as 
                        those areas with a 1 percent annual chance of 
                        flood conditions) that have not previously been 
                        identified, including areas that are protected 
                        by levees, dams, and other man-made structures; 
                        and
                            (iv) areas that could be inundated as a 
                        result of the failure of a levee, dam, or other 
                        man-made structure;
                    (B) establish or update flood-risk zone data in all 
                such areas, and make estimates with respect to the 
                rates of probable flood caused loss for the various 
                flood risk zones for each such area; and
                    (C) use, in identifying, reviewing, updating, 
                maintaining, or publishing any National Flood Insurance 
                Program rate map required under this section or under 
                the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, the most 
                accurate elevation data available.
            (2) Mapping elements.--Each map updated under this section 
        shall:
                    (A) Ground elevation data.--Assess the accuracy of 
                current ground elevation data used for hydrologic and 
                hydraulic modeling of flooding sources and mapping of 
                the flood hazard and wherever necessary acquire new 
                ground elevation data utilizing the most up-to-date 
                geospatial technologies in accordance with the existing 
                guidelines and specifications of the Federal Emergency 
                Management Agency.
                    (B) Data on a watershed basis.--Develop National 
                Flood Insurance Program flood data on a watershed 
                basis--
                            (i) to provide the most technically 
                        effective and efficient studies and hydrologic 
                        and hydraulic modeling; and
                            (ii) to eliminate, to the maximum extent 
                        possible, discrepancies in base flood 
                        elevations between adjacent political 
                        subdivisions.
                    (C) Other data.--Include any other relevant 
                information as may be recommended by the Technical 
                Mapping Advisory Council.
            (3) Other inclusions.--In updating maps under this section, 
        the Administrator shall make available in digital technology on 
        the website of the Federal Emergency Management Agency--
                    (A) any relevant information on coastal inundation 
                from--
                            (i) an applicable inundation map of the 
                        Corps of Engineers; and
                            (ii) data of the National Oceanic and 
                        Atmospheric Administration relating to storm 
                        surge modeling;
                    (B) any relevant information of the United States 
                Geological Survey on stream flows, watershed 
                characteristics, and topography that is useful in the 
                identification of flood hazard areas, as determined by 
                the Administrator<DELETED>;
                </DELETED>    (C) any relevant information on land 
                subsidence, coastal erosion areas, and other flood-
                related hazards; and
                    (D) any other relevant information as may be 
                recommended by the Technical Mapping Advisory Council.
    (c) Standards.--In updating and maintaining maps under this 
section, the Administrator shall--
            (1) establish standards to--
                    (A) ensure that maps are adequate for--
                            (i) flood risk determinations; and
                            (ii) use by State and local governments in 
                        managing development to reduce the risk of 
                        flooding; and
                    (B) facilitate identification and use of consistent 
                methods of data collection and analysis by the 
                Administrator, in conjunction with State and local 
                governments, in developing maps for communities with 
                similar flood risks, as determined by the 
                Administrator; and
            (2) publish maps in a format that is--
                    (A) digital geospatial data compliant;
                    (B) compliant with the open publishing and data 
                exchange standards established by the Open Geospatial 
                Consortium; and
                    (C) compliant with the North American Vertical 
                Datum of 1988 for new hydrologic and hydraulic 
                engineering.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Administrator to carry out this section 
$400,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2013.

SEC. 4. COORDINATION.

    (a) Interagency Budget Crosscut Report.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security, the 
        Administrator, the Director of the Office of Management and 
        Budget, and the heads of each Federal department or agency 
        carrying out activities under this Act shall work together to 
        ensure that flood risk determination data and geospatial data 
        are shared among Federal agencies in order to coordinate the 
        efforts of the Nation to reduce its vulnerability to flooding 
        hazards. 
            (2) Report.--Not later than 30 days after the submission of 
        the budget of the United States Government by the President to 
        Congress, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, 
        in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
        the United States Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and 
        Atmospheric Administration, the Corps of Engineers, and other 
        Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall submit to the 
        appropriate authorizing and appropriating committees of the 
        Senate and the House of Representatives a financial report, 
        certified by the Secretary or head of each such agency, an 
        interagency budget crosscut report that displays the budget 
        proposed for each of the Federal agencies working on flood risk 
        determination data and related digital elevation models, 
        including any planned interagency or intraagency transfers.
    (b) Duties of the Administrator.--In carrying out this Act, the 
Administrator shall--
            (1) participate, pursuant to section 216 of Public Law 107-
        347 (116 Stat. 2945), in the establishment of such standards 
        and common protocols as are necessary to assure the 
        interoperability of geospatial data for all users of such 
        information;
            (2) coordinate with, seek assistance and cooperation of, 
        and provide liaison to the Federal Geographic Data Committee 
        pursuant to Office of Management and Budget Circular A-16 and 
        Executive Order 12906 for the implementation of and compliance 
        with such standards;
            (3) integrate with, leverage, and coordinate funding of, to 
        the maximum extent practicable, the current flood mapping 
        activities of each unit of State and local government;
            (4) integrate with, leverage, and coordinate, to the 
        maximum extent practicable, the current geospatial activities 
        of other Federal agencies and units of State and local 
        government; and
            (5) develop a funding strategy to leverage and coordinate 
        budgets and expenditures, and to establish joint funding 
        mechanisms with other Federal agencies and units of State and 
        local government to share the collection and utilization of 
        geospatial data among all governmental users.

SEC. 5. REMOVAL OF LIMITATION ON STATE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR UPDATING FLOOD 
              MAPS.

    Section 1360(f)(2) of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 
U.S.C. 4101(f)(2)) is amended by striking ``, but which may not exceed 
50 percent of the cost of carrying out the requested revision or 
update''.

SEC. 6. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall enter into a contract with 
the National Academy of Public Administration to conduct a study on how 
the Federal Emergency Management Agency--
            (1) should improve interagency and intergovernmental 
        coordination on flood mapping, including a funding strategy to 
        leverage and coordinate budgets and expenditures; and
            (2) can establish joint funding mechanisms with other 
        Federal agencies and units of State and local government to 
        share the collection and utilization of data among all 
        governmental users.
    (b) Timing.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the National Academy of Public Administration shall report 
the findings of the study required under subsection (a) to the--
            (1) Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
        Senate;
            (2) Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
        Representatives;
            (3) Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
            (4) Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
        Representatives.
                                 <all>
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