Fire-Damaged Home Rebuilding Act of 2015

To amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to allow the rebuilding, without elevation, of certain structures that are located in areas having special flood hazards and are substantially damaged by fire, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fire-Damaged Home Rebuilding Act of 2015 2. Requirements for State and local land use controls Section 1315(a) of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4022(a) (3) Allowable local variances for certain residential structures (A) Definitions In this paragraph— (i) the term covered area (I) is or will be protected by a levee system— (aa) that meets or will meet the requirements established under section 65.10 of title 44, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto; and (bb) with respect to which adequate progress toward the repair, replacement, or construction of the levee system has been made, provided that such prog­ress is acceptable to the local floodplain manager; and (II) absent the protection provided by the levee system, is subject to significant base flood elevations of not less than a reasonable height, as determined by the Administrator; (ii) the term eligible structure (I) is located in a covered area; and (II) is substantially damaged by a fire or other disaster, not including a flood; and (iii) the term substantially damaged (B) Authorization for variances Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the adequate land use and control measures required to be adopted in an area (or subdivision thereof) pursuant to paragraph (1) may permit an appropriate State or local authority to grant a variance described in subparagraph (C). (C) Requirements for variances A variance described in this subparagraph is a variance from compliance with the adequate land use and control measures required to be adopted in an area (or subdivision thereof) pursuant to paragraph (1) that allows for the repair and restoration of an eligible structure to its predamaged condition without elevation of the structure, after an appropriate State or local authority determines that— (i) the repaired and restored structure will be located on the same site as the structure was located before being substantially damaged by a fire or other disaster, not including a flood; (ii) the footprint of the repaired and restored structure will not exceed the footprint of the original structure; (iii) the number of floors of the repaired and restored structure will not exceed the number of floors of the original structure; (iv) no claims payments have been made under flood insurance coverage under this title for damages to or loss of the structure; (v) the owner of the structure has owned the structure continually from before the time of the damage described in clause (i); and (vi) the repair and restoration of the structure is for the purpose of occupancy by the owner of the structure. (D) Maximum number of variances During any calendar year, an appropriate State or local authority may not grant more than 10 variances in accordance with this paragraph for a covered area. (E) Prohibition The Administrator may not— (i) find that land use and control measures are inadequate or inconsistent with the comprehensive criteria for land management and use under section 1361 because the land use and control measures permit the granting of a variance in accordance with this paragraph; or (ii) suspend an area (or subdivision thereof) from participation in the national flood insurance program or place an area (or subdivision thereof) on probation under the national flood insurance program because the area has adopted land use and control measures that permit the granting of a variance in accordance with this paragraph. . 3. Premium rates Section 1308 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4015 (n) Prohibition on lowering premium rate for structures rebuilt pursuant to certain variances Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, after the repair and restoration of a residential structure pursuant to a variance granted in accordance with section 1315(a)(3), the chargeable premium rate for the structure may not be lower than the rate that otherwise would apply to the structure if the structure had not been substantially damaged by a fire or other disaster, not including a flood, and repaired and restored pursuant to the variance. .

Summary: Fire-Damaged Home Rebuilding Act of 2015 Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to allow local variances for certain residential structures substantially damaged by a fire or other disaster, not including a flood, in a covered area having special flood hazards. Permits state or local authorities, upon making certain determinations, to grant a variance from compliance with certain mandatory adequate land use and control measures to allow repair and restoration of an eligible structure to its pre-damaged condition without elevation of the structure. Includes among such determinations that: (1) the repaired and restored structure will be located on the same site as it was before being substantially damaged, and (2) the number of floors of the restored structure will not exceed the number of floors of the original structure. Restricts the maximum number of such variances to 10 for a covered area during any calendar year. Prohibits the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from either: (1) finding that land use and control measures are inadequate or inconsistent with the comprehensive criteria for land management and use because they permit granting the variances identified under this Act; or (2) suspending an area or subdivision from participation in the national flood insurance program, or placing it on probation, because its land use and control measures provide for such variances. Prohibits the chargeable flood insurance premium rate for a residential structure granted a variance under this Act from being lower than the rate that otherwise would apply if such structure had not been substantially damaged by a fire or other disaster (except a flood) and repaired and restored pursuant to the variance.