I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6380 
To temporarily relieve cost-sharing requirements for Army Corps of Engineers 
watershed mitigation projects and flood damage reduction projects for 
counties adversely impacted by Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 12, 2012 
Mr. GIBSON (for himself and Mr. WELCH) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To temporarily relieve cost-sharing requirements for Army 
Corps of Engineers watershed mitigation projects and 
flood damage reduction projects for counties adversely 
impacted by Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee, 
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 ‘‘Hurricane Irene and 
Tropical Storm Lee Community Recovery Assistance Act 
of 2012’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The devastation that Hurricane Irene and 
Tropical Storm Lee brought to many communities 
was catastrophic. In addition to the damage sus-
tained from the storms themselves, subsequent flood-
ing destroyed towns, wiped out roads and bridges, 
and caused thousands of Americans to lose their 
homes, businesses, farms, and personal possessions. 
Given the fiscal challenges facing these communities, 
the task of repairing and rebuilding has been signifi-
cant. Difficult economic times have created very real 
challenges and obstacles for local and State govern-
ments to overcome. 
(2) Members of Congress recognized this devas-
tation and organized a bipartisan coalition of 30 
Members whose districts were impacted by Hurri-
cane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee. The coalition has 
worked diligently to ensure that the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency has the resources it 
needs to support the recovery efforts. As the recov-
ery efforts move forward, it is equally important to 
conduct studies on what can be done to mitigate dis-
asters of this scale in the future, and the Corps of 
Engineers is leading the work associated with these 
studies. 
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(3) As the Nation continues to recover from 
Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, some com-
munities are financially incapable of making pay-
ments immediately to meet cost-sharing require-
ments for watershed mitigation projects and flood 
damage reduction projects. Given the fiscal cir-
cumstances and the critical need for recovery efforts, 
it is necessary to provide temporary relief of these 
cost-sharing requirements, so that ongoing studies 
can be concluded and mitigation efforts can be im-
plemented. Providing such relief could result in long- 
term future savings. 
SEC. 3. TEMPORARY RELIEF OF COST-SHARING REQUIRE-
MENTS FOR CERTAIN COUNTIES ADVERSELY 
IMPACTED BY HURRICANE IRENE OR TROP-
ICAL STORM LEE. 
(a) PAYMENT OF NON-FEDERAL CONTRIBUTIONS.— 
Upon the request of a State or local government, the Sec-
retary of the Army shall allow a non-Federal interest to 
make payment of any non-Federal contribution associated 
with a qualifying watershed mitigation project (including 
treatment and distributions components) or a qualifying 
flood damage reduction project over a 30-year period in 
accordance with section 103(k) of the Water Resources 
Development Act of 1986 (33 U.S.C. 2213(k)). 
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(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following defi-
nitions apply: 
(1) DISASTER
COUNTY.—The term ‘‘disaster 
county’’ means— 
(A) a county included in the geographical 
area covered by a qualifying natural disaster 
declaration; and 
(B) each county contiguous to a county de-
scribed in subparagraph (A). 
(2) QUALIFYING NATURAL DISASTER DECLARA-
TION.—The term ‘‘qualifying natural disaster dec-
laration’’ means a major disaster or emergency de-
clared by the President under the Robert T. Staf-
ford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
(42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) in 2011 due to damaging 
weather and other conditions relating to Hurricane 
Irene or Tropical Storm Lee. 
(3) QUALIFYING
FLOOD
DAMAGE
REDUCTION 
PROJECT.—The term ‘‘qualifying flood damage re-
duction project’’ means a flood damage reduction 
project carried out by the Corps of Engineers for a 
disaster county. 
(4) 
QUALIFYING
WATERSHED
MITIGATION 
PROJECT.—The term ‘‘qualifying watershed mitiga-
tion project’’ means a project or study carried out 
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by the Corps of Engineers with respect to a water-
shed located in whole or in part in a disaster county 
for one or more of the following purposes: 
(A) To reduce the impacts of flooding in 
the watershed, including through ecosystem res-
toration. 
(B) To enhance rivers in the watershed 
with respect to use as transportation corridors. 
(C) To improve water quality throughout 
the watershed. 
(D) To increase economic opportunities in 
the watershed. 
(E) To utilize new technologies and inno-
vative approaches to benefit the watershed. 
(F) To develop and implement a long-term 
resource monitoring program for the watershed. 
Æ 
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