able under the national flood insurance program whether 
or not the real estate is located in an area having special 
flood hazards and that, to obtain such coverage, a home 
owner or purchaser should contact the national flood insur-
ance program; (2) a telephone number and a location on 
the Internet by which a home owner or purchaser can con-
tact the national flood insurance program; and (3) that the 
escrowing of flood insurance payments is required for many 
loans under section 102(d) of the Flood Disaster Protection 
Act of 1973, and may be a convenient and available option 
with respect to other loans.’’. 
SEC. 20. AUTHORIZATION OF ADDITIONAL FEMA STAFF. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Direc-
tor of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may em-
ploy such additional staff as may be necessary to carry out 
all of the responsibilities of the Director pursuant to this 
Act and the amendments made by this Act. There are au-
thorized to be appropriated to Director such sums as may 
be necessary for costs of employing such additional staff. 
SEC. 21. PLAN TO VERIFY MAINTENANCE OF FLOOD INSUR-
ANCE ON MISSISSIPPI AND LOUISIANA PROP-
ERTIES 
RECEIVING 
EMERGENCY 
SUPPLE-
MENTAL FUNDS. 
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management 
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Agency shall jointly develop and implement a plan to verify 
that persons receiving funds under the Homeowner Grant 
Assistance Program of the State of Mississippi or the Road 
Home Program of the State of Louisiana from amounts al-
located to the State of Mississippi or the State of Louisiana, 
respectively, from the Community development fund under 
the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act to Ad-
dress Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico and Pandemic In-
fluenza, 2006 (Public Law 109–148) are maintaining flood 
insurance on the property for which such persons receive 
such funds as required by each such Program. 
SEC. 22. FLOOD INSURANCE ADVOCATE. 
Chapter II of the National Flood Insurance Act of 
1968 is amended by inserting after section 1330 (42 U.S.C. 
4041) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 1330A. OFFICE OF THE FLOOD INSURANCE ADVO-
CATE. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF POSITION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There shall be in the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency an Office of the 
Flood Insurance Advocate which shall be headed by 
the National Flood Insurance Advocate. The National 
Flood Insurance Advocate shall report directly to the 
Director and shall, to the extent amounts are pro-
vided pursuant to subsection (f), be compensated at 
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the same rate as the highest rate of basic pay estab-
lished for the Senior Executive Service under section 
5382 of title 5, United States Code, or, if the Director 
so determines, at a rate fixed under section 9503 of 
such title. 
‘‘(2) APPOINTMENT.—The National Flood Insur-
ance Advocate shall be appointed by the Director, and 
without regard to the provisions of title 5, United 
States Code, relating to appointments in the competi-
tive service or the Senior Executive Service. 
‘‘(3) 
QUALIFICATIONS.—An 
individual 
ap-
pointed under paragraph (2) shall have a background 
in customer service as well as insurance. 
‘‘(4) STAFF.—To the extent amounts are pro-
vided pursuant to subsection (f), the National Flood 
Insurance Advocate may employ such personnel as 
may be necessary to carry out the duties of the Office. 
‘‘(b) FUNCTIONS OF OFFICE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—It shall be the function of the 
Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate to— 
‘‘(A) assist insureds under the national 
flood insurance program in resolving problems 
with the Federal Emergency Management Agen-
cy relating to such program; 
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‘‘(B) identify areas in which such insureds 
have problems in dealings with the Agency relat-
ing to such program; 
‘‘(C) identify potential legislative, adminis-
trative, or regulatory changes which may be ap-
propriate to mitigate such problems; and 
‘‘(D) assist communities and homeowners 
with interpreting, implementing, and appealing 
floodplain maps and floodplain map determina-
tions. 
‘‘(2) ANNUAL REPORTS.— 
‘‘(A) ACTIVITIES.—Not later than December 
31 of each calendar year, the National Flood In-
surance Advocate shall report to the Committee 
on Financial Services of the House of Represent-
atives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
and Urban Affairs of the Senate on the activities 
of the Office of the Flood Insurance Advocate 
during the fiscal year ending during such cal-
endar year. Any such report shall contain full 
and substantive analysis, in addition to statis-
tical information, and shall— 
‘‘(i) identify the initiatives the Office 
of the Flood Insurance Advocate has taken 
on improving services for insureds under 
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the national flood insurance program and 
responsiveness of the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency with respect to such 
program; 
‘‘(ii) identify areas of the law or regu-
lations relating to the national flood insur-
ance program that impose significant com-
pliance burdens on such insureds or the 
Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
including specific recommendations for rem-
edying these problems; and 
‘‘(iii) include such other information 
as the National Flood Insurance Advocate 
may deem advisable. 
‘‘(B) DIRECT
SUBMISSION
OF
REPORT.— 
Each report required under this paragraph shall 
be provided directly to the committees identified 
in subparagraph (A) without any prior review 
or comment from the Director, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, or any other officer or em-
ployee of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency or the Department of Homeland Secu-
rity, or the Office of Management and Budget. 
‘‘(c) FUNDING.—Pursuant to section 1310(a)(4), the 
Director may use amounts from the National Flood Insur-
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srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS
ance Fund to fund the activities of the Office of the Flood 
Advocate in each of fiscal years 2011 through 2016, except 
that the amount so used in each such fiscal year may not 
exceed $5,000,000 and shall remain available until ex-
pended. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, 
amounts made available pursuant to this subsection shall 
not be subject to offsetting collections through premium 
rates for flood insurance coverage under this title.’’. 
SEC. 23. ELIGIBILITY OF PROPERTY DEMOLITION AND RE-
BUILDING UNDER FLOOD MITIGATION AS-
SISTANCE PROGRAM. 
Section 1366(e)(5)(B) of the National Flood Insurance 
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4104c(e)(5)(B)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘or floodproofing’’ and inserting ‘‘floodproofing, or 
demolition and rebuilding’’. 
SEC. 24. STUDY REGARDING MANDATORY PURCHASE RE-
QUIREMENT FOR NON-FEDERALLY RELATED 
LOANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General shall con-
duct a study to assess the impact, effectiveness, and feasi-
bility of, and basis under the Constitution of the United 
States for, amending the provisions of the Flood Disaster 
Protection Act of 1973 regarding the properties that are 
subject to the mandatory flood insurance coverage purchase 
requirements under such Act to extend such requirements 
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to any property that is located in any area having special 
flood hazards and which secures the repayment of a loan 
that is not described in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of section 
102(b) of such Act, and shall determine how best to admin-
ister and enforce such a requirement, taking into consider-
ation other insurance purchase requirements under Federal 
and State law. 
(b) REPORT.—The Comptroller General shall submit 
a report to the Congress regarding the results and conclu-
sions of the study under subsection (a) not later than the 
expiration of the 6-month period beginning on the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 25. STUDY OF METHODS TO INCREASE FLOOD INSUR-
ANCE PROGRAM PARTICIPATION BY LOW-IN-
COME FAMILIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 
United States shall conduct a study to identify and analyze 
potential methods, practices, and incentives that would in-
crease the extent to which low-income families (as such term 
is defined in section 3(b) of the United States Housing Act 
of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b))) that own residential prop-
erties located within areas having special flood hazards pur-
chase flood insurance coverage for such properties under the 
national flood insurance program. In conducting the study, 
the Comptroller General shall analyze the effectiveness and 
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costs of the various methods, practices, and incentives iden-
tified, including their effects on the national flood insurance 
program. 
(b) REPORT.—The Comptroller General shall submit 
to the Congress a report setting forth the conclusions of the 
study under this section not later than 12 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 26. REPORT ON INCLUSION OF BUILDING CODES IN 
FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT CRITERIA. 
Not later than the expiration of the 6-month period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
shall conduct a study and submit a report to the Committee 
on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 
of the Senate regarding the impact, effectiveness, and feasi-
bility of amending section 1361 of the National Flood In-
surance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4102) to include widely used 
and nationally recognized building codes as part of the 
floodplain management criteria developed under such sec-
tion, and shall determine— 
(1) the regulatory, financial, and economic im-
pacts of such a building code requirement on home-
owners, States and local communities, local land use 
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policies, and the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency; 
(2) the resources required of State and local com-
munities to administer and enforce such a building 
code requirement; 
(3) the effectiveness of such a building code re-
quirement in reducing flood-related damage to build-
ings and contents; 
(4) the impact of such a building code require-
ment on the actuarial soundness of the National 
Flood Insurance Program; 
(5) the effectiveness of nationally recognized 
codes in allowing innovative materials and systems 
for flood-resistant construction; and 
(6) the feasibility and effectiveness of providing 
an incentive in lower premium rates for flood insur-
ance coverage under such Act for structures meeting 
whichever of such widely used and nationally recog-
nized building code or any applicable local building 
code provides greater protection from flood damage. 
SEC. 27. STUDY ON REPAYING FLOOD INSURANCE DEBT. 
Not later than the expiration of the 6-month period 
beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Ad-
ministrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 
shall submit a report to the Congress setting forth a plan 
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for repaying within 10 years all amounts, including any 
amounts previously borrowed but not yet repaid, owed pur-
suant to clause (2) of subsection (a) of section 1309 of the 
National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
4016(a)(2)). 
SEC. 28. STUDY REGARDING IMPACT OF RATE INCREASES 
ON PRE-FIRM PROPERTIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 
United States shall conduct a study to assess the impacts 
of implementing provisions regarding pre-FIRM properties 
(as such term is defined in section 578(b) of the National 
Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 4014)), in-
cluding the impact on the program participation rate 
among owners, renters, and tenants of non-primary resi-
dences or commercial nonresidential properties. In con-
ducting the study, the Comptroller General shall analyze 
the cost effectiveness and effect on local government tax base 
of various options, including an option of implementing 
such provisions on the severe repetitive loss properties only. 
(b) REPORT.—The Comptroller General shall submit 
a report to Congress regarding the results and conclusions 
of the study under subsection (a) not later than the expira-
tion of the 9-month period beginning on the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
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(b) INITIATION OF RULEMAKING.—The Administrator 
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency may initiate 
a rulemaking to implement this Act and the amendments 
made by this Act as soon as practicable after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. The final rule issued pursuant 
to such rulemaking may supersede the interim final rule 
promulgated under subsection (a). 
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Union Calendar No. 282 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5114 
[Report No. 111–495] 
A BILL 
To extend the authorization for the national flood 
insurance program, to identify priorities essential 
to reform and ongoing stable functioning of the 
program, and for other purposes. 
MAY 26, 2010 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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