Agricultural Structures Building Act of 2013

To amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to allow the repair, expansion, and construction, without elevation, of agricultural structures located in special flood hazard zones, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Agricultural Structures Building Act of 2013 2. Requirements for State and local land use controls Subsection (a) of section 1315 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4022(a) (3) Allowable local variances for certain agricultural structures (A) Requirement Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the land use and control measures adopted pursuant to paragraph (1) may not, for purposes of such paragraph, be considered to be inadequate or inconsistent with the comprehensive criteria for land management and use under section 1361 because such measures provide that, in the case of any agricultural structure that is located in an area having special flood hazards, a variance in accordance with subparagraph (B) may be granted, and the Administrator may not suspend a community from participation in the national flood insurance program, or place such a community on probation under such program, because such land use and control measures provide for such a variance. (B) Variance; considerations A variance in accordance with this subparagraph is a variance, granted by an appropriate official of the community, from compliance with such land use and control measures that allows for the repair, expansion, or construction of such agricultural structure without elevation of the structure, but only after a determination by such appropriate official that— (i) in the case of new construction, the agricultural structure is subject to base flood elevations of at least three feet; (ii) in the case of existing structures, it is not practicable to elevate the repaired or expanded structure to the base flood elevation; (iii) the structure is located within 5 miles of active agricultural operations; and (iv) not more than one claim payment exceeding $1,000 has been made for the structure under flood insurance coverage under this title within any period of 10 consecutive years. (C) Definition of agricultural structure For purposes of this paragraph, the term agricultural structure . 3. Premium rates Section 1308 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4015 (j) Premium rates for certain agricultural structures with variances Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the chargeable premium rate for coverage under this title for any structure provided a variance pursuant to section 1315(a)(3) shall be the rate that otherwise would apply to such structure if the structure had been repaired, expanded, or constructed before the establishment of the special flood hazard area. .

Summary: Agricultural Structures Building Act of 2013 - Amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to allow local variances for certain agricultural structures (such as any agricultural product processing facility, agricultural product storage facility, shed, farmhouse, barn, or other structure which has as its primary purpose supporting the agricultural industry). Prohibits certain land use and control measures from being deemed inadequate or inconsistent with land management criteria for participation in the flood insurance program because such measures authorize granting a variance for an agricultural structure located in an area having special flood hazards. Prohibits the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from either suspending a community from participation in the national flood insurance program, or placing it on probation, because its land use and control measures provide for such a variance. Defines such variance as one granted by an appropriate official of the community from compliance with such land use and control measures and permits repair and restoration of such structure to its pre-damaged condition without elevation of the structure. Requires the official to have made specified determinations as a prerequisite to granting such a variance, including that: (1) in the case of new construction, the agricultural structure is subject to base flood elevations of at least three feet; and (2) in the case of existing structures, it is not practicable to elevate the repaired or expanded structure to the base flood elevation. Requires the chargeable flood insurance premium rates for an agricultural structure granted such a variance to be the rates that otherwise would apply to such structure if it had been repaired, expanded, or constructed before the establishment of the special flood hazard area.