I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6614 
To amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to allow the rebuilding 
of certain structures located in special flood hazard zones, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 29, 2012 
Ms. MATSUI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to 
allow the rebuilding of certain structures located in spe-
cial flood hazard zones, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Fire-Damaged Home 
Rebuilding Act of 2012’’. 
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SEC. 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)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) VARIANCE
FOR
CERTAIN
RESIDENTIAL 
STRUCTURES.— 
‘‘(A) 
REQUIREMENT.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of this Act, after the expira-
tion of the 3-month period beginning on the 
date of the enactment of the Fire-Damaged 
Home Rebuilding Act of 2012, any land use 
and control measures required to be adopted 
pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not, for pur-
poses of such paragraph, be considered to be 
adequate or consistent with the comprehensive 
criteria for land management and use under 
section 1361 unless such measures provide that, 
in the case of any residential structure that is 
located in an area having special flood hazards 
and is substantially damaged other than as a 
result of a flood, a variance in accordance with 
subparagraph (B) may be granted. 
‘‘(B) 
VARIANCE; 
CONSIDERATIONS.—A 
variance in accordance with this subparagraph 
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is a variance from compliance with such land 
use and control measures that— 
‘‘(i) allows for the repair and restora-
tion of such structure to its predamaged 
condition on the original location of the 
structure without elevation of the struc-
ture, but only if the owner of such struc-
ture at the time of such damage repairs 
and restores such structure for the purpose 
of continued occupancy; and 
‘‘(ii) may be granted only by the ap-
propriate regional director of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, after tak-
ing into consideration— 
‘‘(I) whether granting such a 
variance would help avoid blight in 
the neighborhood in which the struc-
ture is located; and 
‘‘(II) whether denying such a 
variance would require the structure 
to be elevated in a manner such that 
the structure is inappropriate with re-
spect to adjacent structures; 
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‘‘(III) the history and frequency 
of flooding in the area in which the 
structure is located; and 
‘‘(IV) the cost to the homeowner 
of elevating the structure so that it is 
in compliance with such land use and 
control measures.’’. 
SEC. 3. PREMIUM RATES. 
Section 1308 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 
1968 (42 U.S.C. 4015) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection: 
‘‘(j) PREMIUM RATES FOR STRUCTURES WITH CER-
TAIN VARIANCES.—Notwithstanding any other provision 
of this Act, the chargeable premium rate for coverage 
under this title for any residential structure provided a 
variance pursuant to section 1315(a)(3) shall, after repair 
and restoration of the structure pursuant to such variance, 
be the rate that otherwise would apply to such structure 
if the structure had not been substantially damaged and 
repaired and restored pursuant to such variance.’’. 
Æ 
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