I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3604 
To establish a National Flood Research and Education Center to provide 
research, data, and recommendations on physical science, social science, 
economic analysis, policy analysis, risk analysis, monitoring, predicting, 
and planning as they relate to flooding and flood-related issues. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 28, 2017 
Mr. LOEBSACK introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a National Flood Research and Education Cen-
ter to provide research, data, and recommendations on 
physical science, social science, economic analysis, policy 
analysis, risk analysis, monitoring, predicting, and plan-
ning as they relate to flooding and flood-related issues. 
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 ‘‘National Flood Re-
search and Education Center Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. NATIONAL FLOOD RESEARCH AND EDUCATION 
CENTER ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established within 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration a 
National Flood Research and Education Center (in this 
Act referred to as ‘‘NFREC’’) which shall consist of— 
(1) an office within the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration; 
(2) one public university or college selected by 
the Administrator of the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration (in this Act referred to as 
the ‘‘Administrator’’), which shall serve as the lead 
partner institution with the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration; and 
(3) a consortium of other public universities or 
colleges selected by the Administrator and the lead 
partner institution based on their ability to fulfill 
specific purposes of NFREC. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of NFREC are as fol-
lows: 
(1) To plan, conduct, and arrange for com-
petent public research, data, education, and rec-
ommendations within the following categories as 
they relate to flooding issues nationwide, regionally, 
and locally: 
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(A) Physical sciences, including engineer-
ing, hydrology, environmental, and atmospheric 
sciences, of flooding and flood-related events. 
(B) Social science of flooding and flood-re-
lated events focused on increasing community 
resilience. 
(C) Economic analysis of flooding and 
flood-related events in addition to analysis of a 
variety of existing and new strategies and tech-
niques to reduce, manage, and prevent flooding 
and flood-related events. 
(D) Policy analysis and recommendations 
on flooding-related policy on a Federal, State, 
and local governmental basis. 
(E) Risk analysis and risk management of 
flooding and flood-related events. 
(F) Improvement of existing, and testing 
of new, risk assessment tools, methods, and 
models for flooding and flood risks used by 
Federal, State, and local governments and other 
interested organizations. 
(G) Improvement of existing, and testing 
of new, monitoring and predicting strategies 
and techniques of flooding and flood-related 
events. 
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