I 
109TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4981 
To amend the National Dam Safety Program Act. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 16, 2006 
Mr. KUHL of New York (for himself, Mr. MATHESON, and Mr. ABER-
CROMBIE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend the National Dam Safety Program Act. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; AMENDMENT OF NATIONAL DAM 
SAFETY PROGRAM ACT. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Dam Safety Act of 2006’’. 
(b) AMENDMENT OF NATIONAL DAM SAFETY PRO-
GRAM ACT.—Except as otherwise expressly provided, 
whenever in this Act an amendment or repeal is expressed 
in terms of an amendment to, or a repeal of, a section 
or other provision, the reference shall be considered to be 
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made to a section or other provision of the National Dam 
Safety Program Act (33 U.S.C. 467 et seq.). 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 2 is amended by— 
(1) redesignating paragraph (13) as paragraph 
(14); and 
(2) inserting after paragraph (12) the following: 
‘‘(13) STATE
REGULATED
DAM.—The term 
State Regulated Dam means a State dam subject to 
the criteria described in section 8(e)(2)(A)(i), (iv) 
and (vi).’’. 
SEC. 3. INSPECTION OF DAMS. 
Section 3(a)(2) is amended by striking ‘‘Power’’ and 
inserting Energy Regulatory. 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL DAM INVENTORY. 
Section 6 is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 6. NATIONAL DAM INVENTORY. 
‘‘The Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief 
of Engineers, shall maintain and update information on 
the inventory of dams in the United States. Such inven-
tory of dams shall include an assessment of each dam 
based on inspections completed by either a Federal agency 
or a State dam safety agency.’’. 
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SEC. 5. NATIONAL DAM SAFETY PROGRAM. 
(a) DUTIES.—Section 8(b)(1) is amended by striking 
‘‘and target dates to’’ and inserting ‘‘performance meas-
ures and target dates toward effectively administering the 
Act in order to’’. 
(b) ASSISTANCE
FOR STATE DAM SAFETY PRO-
GRAMS.—Section 8(e)(2)(A) is amended by— 
(1) striking ‘‘substantially’’; 
(2) striking clause (iv) and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iv)(I) the authority to require or 
perform the inspection at least once every 
5 years, of all dams and reservoirs that 
would pose a significant threat to human 
life and property in case of failure to de-
termine the continued safety of the dams 
and reservoirs; 
‘‘(II) authority to require or perform 
inspection at least every 5 years of those 
dams and reservoirs that pose a significant 
threat to human life and property; and 
‘‘(III) a procedure for more detailed 
and frequent safety inspections;’’; and 
(3) in clause (vi) by inserting ‘‘install and mon-
itor instrumentation,’’ after ‘‘remedial work,’’. 
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SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
Section 13 is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 13. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘(a) NATIONAL DAM SAFETY PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) ANNUAL AMOUNTS.—There are authorized 
to be appropriated to FEMA to carry out sections 
7, 8, and 11 (in addition to any amounts made 
available for similar purposes included in any other 
Act and amounts made available under subsections 
(b) through (e)), $8,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2007 through 2011, to remain available until ex-
pended. 
‘‘(2) ALLOCATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graphs (B) and (C), for each fiscal year, 
amounts made available under this subsection 
to carry out section 8 shall be allocated among 
the states as follows: 
‘‘(i) One-third among States that 
qualify for assistance under section 8(e). 
‘‘(ii) Two-thirds among States that 
qualify for assistance under section 8(e), to 
each State in proportion to— 
‘‘(I) the number of dams in the 
State that are listed as State-regu-
lated dams on the inventory of dams 
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maintained under section 6; as com-
pared to 
‘‘(II) the number of dams in all 
States that are listed as State-regu-
lated dams on the inventory of dams 
maintained under section 6. 
‘‘(B) MAXIMUM
AMOUNT
OF
ALLOCA-
TION.—The amount of funds allocated to a 
State under this paragraph may not exceed 50 
percent of the reasonable cost of implementing 
the State dam safety program. 
‘‘(C) DETERMINATION.—The Director and 
the Board shall determine the amount allocated 
to States. 
‘‘(b) NATIONAL DAM INVENTORY.—There is author-
ized to be appropriated to carry out section 6 $1,000,000 
for each fiscal year. 
‘‘(c) RESEARCH.—There is authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out Section 9 $2,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2007 through 2011, to remain until expended. 
‘‘(d) DAM SAFETY TRAINING.—There is authorized 
to be appropriated to carry out section 10 $700,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011. 
‘‘(e) STAFF.—There is authorized to be appropriated 
to FEMA for the employment of such additional staff per-
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sonnel as are necessary to carry out sections 8 through 
10 $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011. 
‘‘(f) LIMITATION ON USE OF AMOUNTS.—Amounts 
made available under this Act may not be used to con-
struct or repair any Federal or non-Federal dam.’’. 
Æ 
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