Community Flood Insurance Savings Act of 2017

To authorize the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make grants to consortia of States and communities to hire individuals to coordinate the Community Rating System program under the National Flood Insurance Program for the States and communities who are members of the consortia, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Community Flood Insurance Savings Act of 2017 2. Grants for Community Rating System program coordinators Section 1315 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4022 (c) Grants for Community Rating System program coordinators (1) Authority The Administrator shall carry out a program to make grants to consortia of States and communities for use only for costs of employing or otherwise retaining an individual or individuals to coordinate and carry out responsibilities relating to participation in the community rating system program under subsection (b) for States and communities that are members of such consortia. (2) Eligibility The Administrator shall establish such criteria as the Administrator considers appropriate for a consortium of States and communities to be eligible for grants under this subsection, which shall include requiring a consortium to provide evidence to the Administrator that the consortium has sufficient authority and administrative capability to use grant amounts in accordance with this subsection on behalf of its member jurisdictions. (3) Timing A consortium receiving a grant under this section shall establish the position or positions described in paragraph (1), and employ or otherwise retain an individual or individuals to fill such position or positions, not later than the date that all such grant amounts are expended. (4) Applications The Administrator shall provide for consortia of States and communities to submit applications for grants under this subsection, which shall include— (A) the evidence referred to in paragraph (2); (B) such assurances as the Administrator shall require to ensure compliance with the requirement under paragraph (3); (C) such assurances as the Administrator shall require to ensure that the consortia will provide funding sufficient to continue the position or positions funded with the grant amounts, in the same annual amount as under such grant funding, after such grant funds are expended; and (D) such other information as the Administrator may require. (5) Selection From among eligible consortia of States and communities submitting applications pursuant to paragraph (3), the Administrator shall select consortia to receive grants under this subsection in accordance with such competitive criteria for such section as the Administrator shall establish. (6) Definition of community For purposes of this section, the term community 42 U.S.C. 4104c(h) (7) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated for grants under this subsection— (A) $7,000,000 for the first fiscal year commencing after the expiration of the 4-month period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act; and (B) $7,000,000 for each of the four consecutive fiscal years thereafter. .

Summary: Community Flood Insurance Savings Act of 2017 This bill amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide grants to associations of states and local communities for the purpose of employing program coordinators for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System. The Community Rating System provides flood insurance premium rate discounts to communities that exceed NFIP floodplain management requirements.