I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4905 
To provide for improvements to National Flood Insurance Program rate 
maps, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 30, 2018 
Mr. MOONEY of West Virginia (for himself and Mr. GONZALEZ of Texas) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Fi-
nancial Services 
A BILL 
To provide for improvements to National Flood Insurance 
Program rate maps, 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 ‘‘Improvement of Map-
ping, Addresses, Geography, Elevations, and Structures 
Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘IMAGES Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. NATIONAL FLOOD MAPPING PROGRAM. 
(a) INCLUSION OF PLANIMETRIC FEATURES IN RATE 
MAPS.—Section 100216(b)(3) of the Biggert-Waters 
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Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (42 U.S.C. 
4101b(b)(3)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(F) planimetric features, including, for 
each planimetric feature— 
‘‘(i) the associated parcel identifica-
tion data for such planimetric feature; and 
‘‘(ii) to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, using public and private sector ad-
dress data, the address of such planimetric 
feature.’’. 
(b) FORMAT OF RATE MAPS.—Section 100216(c)(2) 
of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 
2012 (42 U.S.C. 4101b(c)(2)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) not later than 5 years after the date 
that the National Geodetic Survey completes 
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the National Spatial Reference System 2022, 
updated to conform with the geospatial data 
provided by such system; and 
‘‘(E) spatially accurate in accordance with 
the common protocols for geographic informa-
tion systems under section 216 of the E-Gov-
ernment Act of 2002 (44 U.S.C. 3501 note).’’. 
(c) ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS.—Section 100216 
of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 
2012 (42 U.S.C. 4101b) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub-
section (k); and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(f) STREAM FLOW NETWORKS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall co-
ordinate with the United States Geological Survey to 
ensure that, to the extent necessary to maintain the 
stream flow networks critical to the National Flood 
Insurance Program, flood risk mapping, and flood 
risk assessments— 
‘‘(A) the stream gage stations in such 
stream flow networks are operational and use 
modern hardware; 
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‘‘(B) such stream flow networks are suffi-
ciently densified by adding new stream gage 
stations in high-risk areas; 
‘‘(C) inactive critical stream gage stations 
in such stream flow networks are reactivated; 
and 
‘‘(D) the speed of the geospatial real-time 
data feeds from such stream gage stations is in-
creased. 
‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) STREAM FLOW NETWORK.—The term 
‘stream flow network’ means a network of 
stream flow gages maintained under the direc-
tion of the United States Geological Survey and 
its partners that is used to measure or record 
the flow of water down a stream or river, or 
through an entire watershed system, and trans-
mit such information using a geospatial real- 
time data feed. 
‘‘(B) STREAM GAGE STATION.—The term 
‘stream gage station’ means a device installed 
at the edge of a river or stream that measures 
or records the flow of water down the stream 
and additional information such as water 
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height, water chemistry, and water tempera-
ture. 
‘‘(g) AVAILABILITY OF DATA TO PUBLIC.—The Ad-
ministrator shall make available to the public on the 
website of the Federal Emergency Management Agency a 
national geospatial data repository that— 
‘‘(1) provides access to the raw data used to in-
clude the planimetric features and parcel identifica-
tion data in National Flood Insurance Program rate 
maps; 
‘‘(2) to the extent that such data is available, 
allows users to view, query, and obtain such data at 
multiple levels of detail, including down to the prop-
erty level; 
‘‘(3) allows users to view flood risks, flood in-
surance zones, and flood elevations; 
‘‘(4) provides access to flood mapping and re-
lated information such as— 
‘‘(A) hydrologic and hydraulic models used 
in determining flood risk; 
‘‘(B) structure footprints where available; 
‘‘(C) flood depth grids; 
‘‘(D) flood risk reports; 
‘‘(E) flood risk assessments (Hazus anal-
yses); 
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‘‘(F) hazard mitigation plans; and 
‘‘(G) other flood risk products at the dis-
cretion of the Administrator; and 
‘‘(5) maintains and disseminates such data in a 
consistent manner. 
‘‘(h) ENSURING CURRENT DATA.—Not less fre-
quently than once every 5 years, the Administrator shall 
verify that each National Flood Insurance Program rate 
map contains data that is current and credible. 
‘‘(i) 
QUALIFICATIONS-BASED
SELECTION
CON-
TRACTING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to a contract 
awarded by the Administrator under this Act, or by 
an entity receiving a grant under this Act, for pro-
gram management, architectural and engineering 
services, or surveying and mapping, such a contract 
shall be awarded to a contractor selected in accord-
ance with the procedures described in section 1103 
of title 40, United States Code (or an applicable 
equivalent State qualifications-based statute). The 
Administrator, or entity, as the case may be, shall 
require such contractor, as a condition of such con-
tract, to award any subcontract for program man-
agement, architectural and engineering services, or 
surveying and mapping in accordance with the pro-
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cedures described in the previous sentence, or the 
applicable equivalent State statute. 
‘‘(2) RELATIONSHIP TO STATE LAW.—Nothing 
in this subsection shall supersede any applicable 
State licensing law governing professional licensure. 
‘‘(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING 
SERVICES.—The term ‘architectural and engi-
neering services’ has the meaning given that 
term in section 1102 of title 40, United States 
Code. 
‘‘(B) SURVEYING
AND
MAPPING.—The 
term 
‘surveying 
and 
mapping’ 
includes 
geospatial activities associated with measuring, 
locating, and preparing maps, charts, or other 
graphical or digital presentations depicting nat-
ural and man-made physical features, phe-
nomena, and legal boundaries of the earth, in-
cluding the following: 
‘‘(i) Topographic Engineering Sur-
veying, including acquisition of topographic 
oriented surveying and mapping data for 
design, construction, master planning, op-
erations, as-built conditions, precise struc-
ture stability studies using conventional 
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and electronic instrumentation, photo-
grammetric, LiDAR, remote sensing, iner-
tial, satellite, and other manned and un-
manned survey methods as applicable. 
‘‘(ii) Hydrographic Engineering Sur-
veying, including acquisition of hydro-
graphic oriented surveying and mapping 
data for design, construction, dredging, 
master planning, operations, and as-built 
conditions using conventional and elec-
tronic instrumentation, and photogramme-
tric, remote sensing, inertial, satellite, side 
scan sonar, subbottom profiling, and other 
surveying methods, as applicable. 
‘‘(iii) Land Surveying, including prop-
erty and boundary surveys, monumenta-
tion, marking and posting, and preparation 
of tract descriptions, using conventional, 
electronic instrumentation, photogramme-
tric, inertial, satellite, and other survey 
methods, as applicable. 
‘‘(iv) Geodetic Surveying, including 
first, second, and third order horizontal 
and vertical control surveys, geodetic as-
tronomy, gravity and magnetic surveys 
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using conventional, electronic instrumenta-
tion, photogrammetric, inertial, satellite, 
and other survey methods, as applicable. 
‘‘(v) Cartographic Surveying, includ-
ing acquisition of topographic and hydro-
graphic oriented surveying and mapping 
data for construction of maps, charts, and 
similar products for planning, flood anal-
ysis, and general use purposes using con-
ventional and electronic instrumentation, 
photogrammetric, inertial, satellite, mobile, 
terrestrial, and other survey methods, as 
applicable. 
‘‘(vi) Mapping, charting, and related 
geospatial database development, including 
the design, compilation, digitizing, attrib-
uting, scribing, drafting, printing and dis-
semination of printed or digital map, 
chart, and related geospatial database 
products associated with planning, engi-
neering, operations, and related real estate 
activities 
using 
photogrammetric, 
geo-
graphic information systems, and other 
manual and computer assisted methods, as 
applicable. 
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‘‘(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) PLANIMETRIC FEATURE.—The term ‘pla-
nimetric feature’ means the geographic elements and 
features— 
‘‘(A) that are independent of elevation, 
such as roads, structure footprints, and rivers 
and lakes; 
‘‘(B) which are represented on maps to 
show the true location and size of the elements 
in relationship to each other, as they are seen 
from the air; and 
‘‘(C) that are mapped from LiDAR or aer-
ial photography by employing basic photo-
grammetry. 
‘‘(2) PARCEL
IDENTIFICATION
DATA.—The 
term ‘parcel identification data’ means the informa-
tion associated with a parcel of land, including the 
geographic location, unique parcel identifier, bound-
aries, structures contained within the parcel, zoning 
classification, and owner.’’. 
(d) FUNDING FOR ELEVATION DATA.—Section 1310 
of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
4017) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) ALLOCATION FROM THE NATIONAL FLOOD IN-
SURANCE FUND.—Each fiscal quarter the Administrator 
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