I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2616 
To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences 
to conduct a study on urban flooding, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 2, 2015 
Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself, Ms. NORTON, Mr. GUTIE´RREZ, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. 
POLIS, and Mr. PAYNE) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition 
to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency to enter into an agreement with the 
National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on 
urban flooding, 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 ‘‘Urban Flooding 
Awareness Act of 2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. URBAN FLOODING DEFINED. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In this Act, the term ‘‘urban 
flooding’’ means the inundation of property in a built envi-
ronment, particularly in more densely populated areas, 
caused by rain falling on increased amounts of impervious 
surface and overwhelming the capacity of drainage sys-
tems, such as storm sewers. 
(b) INCLUSIONS.—In this Act, the term ‘‘urban flood-
ing’’ includes— 
(1) situations in which stormwater enters build-
ings through windows, doors, or other openings; 
(2) water backup through sewer pipes, showers, 
toilets, sinks, and floor drains; 
(3) seepage through walls and floors; 
(4) the accumulation of water on property or 
public rights-of-way; and 
(5) the overflow from water bodies, such as riv-
ers and lakes. 
(c) EXCLUSION.—In this Act, the term ‘‘urban flood-
ing’’ does not include flooding in undeveloped or agricul-
tural areas. 
(d) PRIMARY FOCUS OF STUDY.—Although the defi-
nition of the term ‘‘urban flooding’’ in this section ac-
knowledges that flooding may be caused in part by the 
overflow of rivers or other bodies of water, the primary 
focus of the study under section 3 shall be on urban areas 
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outside of special flood hazard areas, as that term is de-
fined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 
SEC. 3. URBAN FLOODING STUDY. 
(a) AGREEMENT WITH NATIONAL ACADEMY
OF 
SCIENCES.—The Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency shall enter into an agreement with 
the National Academy of Sciences under which the Na-
tional Academy of Sciences will conduct a study on urban 
flooding in accordance with the requirements of this sec-
tion. 
(b) CONTENTS.— 
(1) GENERAL REVIEW AND EVALUATION.—In 
conducting the study, the National Academy of 
Sciences shall review and evaluate the latest avail-
able research, laws, regulations, policies, best prac-
tices, procedures, and institutional knowledge re-
garding urban flooding. 
(2) SPECIFIC ISSUE AREAS.—The study shall 
include, at a minimum, an examination of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) The prevalence and costs associated 
with urban flooding events across the United 
States, with a focus on the largest metropolitan 
areas and any clear trends in frequency and se-
verity over the past 2 decades. 
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(B) The adequacy of existing federally pro-
vided flood risk information and the most cost 
effective methods and products to identify, map, 
or otherwise characterize the risk of property 
damage from urban flooding on a property-by- 
property basis, whether or not a property is in 
or adjacent to a 1-percent (100-year) flood 
plain, and the potential for training and certi-
fying local experts in flood risk characterization 
as a service to property purchasers and owners 
and their communities. 
(C) The causes of urban flooding and its 
apparent increase over the past 20 years, in-
cluding the impacts of— 
(i) global climate change; 
(ii) increasing urbanization and the 
associated increase in impervious surfaces; 
and 
(iii) undersized, deteriorating, and 
otherwise ineffective stormwater infrastruc-
ture. 
(D) The most cost-effective strategies, 
practices, technologies, policies, standards, or 
rules used to reduce the impacts of urban flood-
ing, with a focus on decentralized, easy-to-in-
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stall, and low-cost approaches, such as non-
structural and natural infrastructure on public 
and private property. The examination under 
this subparagraph shall include an assessment 
of opportunities for implementing innovative 
strategies and practices on government-con-
trolled land, such as Federal, State, and local 
roads, parking lots, alleys, sidewalks, buildings, 
recreational areas, and open space. 
(E) The role of the Federal Government 
and State governments, as conveners, funders, 
and advocates, in spurring market innovations 
based on public-private-nonprofit partnerships. 
Such innovations may include smart home tech-
nologies for improved flood warning systems 
connected to high-resolution weather forecast 
data and Internet- and cellular-based commu-
nications systems. 
(F) The most sustainable and effective 
methods for funding flood risk and flood dam-
age reduction at all levels of government, in-
cluding— 
(i) the potential for establishing a 
State revolving fund program for flood pre-
vention projects similar to the revolving 
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fund programs under the Federal Water 
Pollution Control Act and the Safe Drink-
ing Water Act; 
(ii) stormwater fee programs using 
impervious surface as the basis for fee 
rates and providing credits for the installa-
tion 
of 
flood 
prevention 
or 
other 
stormwater management features; 
(iii) grant programs; and 
(iv) public-private partnerships. 
(G) Information and education strategies 
and practices, including nontraditional ap-
proaches such as the use of community colleges 
and social media, for community leaders, gov-
ernment staff, and property owners on— 
(i) flood risks; 
(ii) flood risk reduction strategies and 
practices; and 
(iii) the availability and effectiveness 
of different types of flood insurance poli-
cies. 
(H) The relevance of the National Flood 
Insurance Program and Community Rating 
System to urban flooding areas outside tradi-
tional flood plains, and strategies for improving 
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compliance, broadening coverage, and increas-
ing participation under the programs. 
(I) Strategies for protecting communities 
in the lower elevations of a watershed or drain-
age area from the flooding impacts of develop-
ment in upstream communities, including a re-
view of— 
(i) potential standards for watershed- 
wide flood protection planning; and 
(ii) cost-effective and equitable legal 
options for a downstream community when 
upstream communities act in a way that 
increases flooding downstream. 
(J) Cost-effective strategies for reducing 
infiltration/inflow into combined and separate 
sewer systems. 
(K) Opportunities to increase coordination 
between stormwater management programming 
under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
(33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.) and flood risk man-
agement and mitigation programming under 
various laws, including the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and the National 
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Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4001 
et seq.). 
(c) CONSULTATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Administrator of the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency shall carry 
out this section in consultation with the Secretary of 
the Army (acting through the Chief of Engineers), 
the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 
Agency, the Director of the United States Geological 
Survey, the Chief of the Natural Resources Con-
servation Service, the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration, State, regional, and local 
stormwater management agencies, State insurance 
commissioners, and such other interested parties as 
the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency considers appropriate. 
(2) COOPERATION.—The head of each Federal 
agency referred to in paragraph (1) shall cooperate 
with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency in carrying out this section as 
requested by the Administrator. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than Decem-
ber 31, 2016, the Administrator of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency shall submit to the Committee on Fi-
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nancial Services and the Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee 
on Appropriations of the Senate a report containing the 
findings of the National Academy of Sciences based on 
the results of the study, including recommendations for 
implementation of strategies, practices, and technologies 
relating to urban flooding by Congress and the executive 
branch. 
Æ 
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