H. R. 3474—117
ment and compliance procedures, based on the studies and
findings of the Task Force, and publish such recommendations.
(5) STUDY OF DETERMINATION FEES.—Conduct a study of—
(A) the reasonableness of fees charged pursuant to
102(h) of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 for
costs of determining whether the property securing a loan
is located in an area having special flood hazards; and
(B) whether the fees charged pursuant to such section
by lenders and servicers are greater than the amounts
paid by such lenders and servicers to persons actually
conducting such determinations and the extent to which
the fees exceed such amounts.
(d) NONCOMPENSATION.—Members of the Task Force shall
receive no additional pay by reason of their service on the Task
Force.
(e) CHAIRPERSON.—The members of the Task Force shall elect
one member as chairperson of the Task Force.
(f) MEETINGS AND ACTION.—The Task Force shall meet at the
call of the chairman or a majority of the members of the Task
Force and may take action by a vote of the majority of the members.
The Federal Insurance Administrator shall coordinate and call the
initial meeting of the Task Force.
(g) OFFICERS.—The chairperson of the Task Force may appoint
any officers to carry out the duties of the Task Force under sub-
section (c).
(h) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request of the chair-
person of the Task Force, the head of any of the Federal agencies
and entities referred to under subsection (b)(1) may detail, on
a nonreimbursable basis, any of the personnel of such agency to
the Task Force to assist the Task Force in carrying out its duties
under this section.
(i) POWERS.—In carrying out this section, the Task Force may
hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, take testimony,
receive evidence and assistance, provide information, and conduct
research as the Task Force considers appropriate.
(j) TERMINATION.—The Task Force shall terminate upon the
expiration of the 24-month period beginning upon the designation
of the last member to be designated under subsection (b)(1).
SEC. 562. TASK FORCE ON NATURAL AND BENEFICIAL FUNCTIONS
OF THE FLOODPLAIN.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established an inter-
agency task force to be known as the Task Force on Natural
and Beneficial Functions of the Floodplain (in this section referred
to as the ‘‘Task Force’’).
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Task Force shall be composed of 5 mem-
bers, who shall be the designees of—
(1) the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere;
(2) the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service;
(3) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency;
(4) the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief
of Engineers; and
(5) the Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency.
H. R. 3474—118
(c) DUTIES.—The Task Force shall—
(1) conduct a study to—
(A) identify the natural and beneficial functions of
the floodplain that reduce flood-related losses; and
(B) develop recommendations on how to reduce flood
losses by protecting the natural and beneficial functions
of the floodplain; and
(2) make the information and recommendations under sub-
paragraphs (A) and (B) publicly available.
(d) NONCOMPENSATION.—Members of the Task Force shall
receive no additional pay by reason of their service on the Task
Force.
(e) CHAIRPERSON.—The members of the Task Force shall elect
one member as chairperson of the Task Force.
(f) MEETINGS AND ACTION.—The Task Force shall meet at the
call of the chairperson or a majority of the members of the Task
Force and may take action by a vote of the majority of the members.
The Federal Insurance Administrator shall coordinate and call the
initial meeting of the Task Force.
(g) OFFICERS.—The chairperson of the Task Force may appoint
any officers to carry out the duties of the Task Force under sub-
section (c).
(h) STAFF OF FEDERAL AGENCIES.—Upon request of the chair-
person of the Task Force, the head of any of the Federal agencies
and entities referred to under subsection (b) may detail, on a
nonreimbursable basis, any of the personnel of such agency to
the Task Force to assist the Task Force in carrying out its duties
under this section.
(i) POWERS.—In carrying out this section, the Task Force may
hold hearings, sit and act at times and places, take testimony,
receive evidence and assistance, provide information, and conduct
research as the Task Force considers appropriate.
(j) TERMINATION.—The Task Force shall terminate upon the
expiration of the 24-month period beginning upon the designation
of the last member to be designated under subsection (b).
Subtitle F—Miscellaneous Provisions
SEC. 571. EXTENSION OF FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1319 of the National Flood Insurance
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4026) is amended by striking ‘‘Septem-
ber 30, 1995’’ and inserting ‘‘September 30, 1996’’.
(b) EMERGENCY
IMPLEMENTATION.—Section 1336(a) of the
National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4056(a)) is
amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 1995’’ and inserting ‘‘Septem-
ber 30, 1996’’.
SEC. 572. LIMITATION ON PREMIUM INCREASES.
(a) PROPERTY-SPECIFIC
LIMITATION.—Section 1308 of the
National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4013(b)) is
amended—
(1) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘Notwithstanding any other
provision of this title’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject only to the limita-
tion under subsection (e)’’; and
(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new sub-
section:
H. R. 3474—119
‘‘(e) ANNUAL LIMITATION
ON PREMIUM INCREASES.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of this title, the chargeable risk pre-
mium rates for flood insurance under this title for any properties
within any single risk classification may not be increased by an
amount that would result in the average of such rate increases
for properties within the risk classification during any 12-month
period exceeding 10 percent of the average of the risk premium
rates for properties within the risk classification upon the
commencement of such 12-month period.’’.
(b) REPEAL OF PROGRAM-WIDE LIMITATION.—Subsection (d) of
section 541 of the Housing and Community Development Act of
1987 (42 U.S.C. 4015 note) is hereby repealed.
SEC. 573. MAXIMUM FLOOD INSURANCE COVERAGE AMOUNTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1306(b) of the National Flood Insur-
ance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4013(b)) is amended as follows:
(1) RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.—In paragraph (2), by striking
‘‘an amount of $150,000 under the provisions of this clause’’
and inserting the following: ‘‘a total amount (including such
limits specified in paragraph (1)(A)(i)) of $250,000’’.
(2) RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY CONTENTS.—In paragraph (3),
by striking ‘‘an amount of $50,000 under the provisions of
this clause’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘a total amount (includ-
ing such limits specified in paragraph (1)(A)(ii)) of $100,000’’.
(3) NONRESIDENTIAL PROPERTY AND CONTENTS.—By striking
paragraph (4) and inserting the following new paragraph:
‘‘(4) in the case of any nonresidential property, including
churches, for which the risk premium rate is determined in
accordance with the provisions of section 1307(a)(1), additional
flood insurance in excess of the limits specified in subpara-
graphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1) shall be made available
to every insured upon renewal and every applicant for insur-
ance, in respect to any single structure, up to a total amount
(including such limit specified in subparagraph (B) or (C) of
paragraph (1), as applicable) of $500,000 for each structure
and $500,000 for any contents related to each structure; and’’.
(b) REMOVAL
OF CEILING
ON COVERAGE REQUIRED.—Section
1306(b) of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C.
4013(b)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘; and’’ at the end and
inserting a period; and
(2) by striking paragraph (6).
SEC. 574. FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM ARRANGEMENTS WITH PRI-
VATE INSURANCE ENTITIES.
Section 1345(b) of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968
(42 U.S.C. 4081(b)) is amended by striking the period at the end
and inserting the following: ‘‘and without regard to the provisions
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).’’.
SEC. 575. UPDATING OF FLOOD MAPS.
Section 1360 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42
U.S.C. 4101) is amended by adding at the end the following new
subsections:
‘‘(e) REVIEW OF FLOOD MAPS.—Once during each 5-year period
(the 1st such period beginning on the date of enactment of the
Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act
of 1994) or more often as the Director determines necessary, the
H. R. 3474—120
Director shall assess the need to revise and update all floodplain
areas and flood risk zones identified, delineated, or established
under this section, based on an analysis of all natural hazards
affecting flood risks.
‘‘(f) UPDATING FLOOD MAPS.—The Director shall revise and
update any floodplain areas and flood-risk zones—
‘‘(1) upon the determination of the Director, according to
the assessment under subsection (e), that revision and updating
are necessary for the areas and zones; or
‘‘(2) upon the request from any State or local government
stating that specific floodplain areas or flood-risk zones in the
State or locality need revision or updating, if sufficient technical
data justifying the request is submitted and the unit of govern-
ment making the request agrees to provide funds in an amount
determined by the Director, but which may not exceed 50
percent of the cost of carrying out the requested revision or
update.
‘‘(g) AVAILABILITY
OF FLOOD MAPS.—To promote compliance
with the requirements of this title, the Director shall make flood
insurance rate maps and related information available free of charge
to the Federal entities for lending regulation, Federal agency lend-
ers, State agencies directly responsible for coordinating the national
flood insurance program, and appropriate representatives of commu-
nities participating in the national flood insurance program, and
at a reasonable cost to all other persons. Any receipts resulting
from this subsection shall be deposited in the National Flood Insur-
ance Fund, pursuant to section 1310(b)(6).
‘‘(h) NOTIFICATION OF FLOOD MAP CHANGES.—The Director shall
cause notice to be published in the Federal Register (or shall provide
notice by another comparable method) of any change to flood insur-
ance map panels and any change to flood insurance map panels
issued in the form of a letter of map amendment or a letter of
map revision. Such notice shall be published or otherwise provided
not later than 30 days after the map change or revision becomes
effective. Notice by any method other than publication in the Fed-
eral Register shall include all pertinent information, provide for
regular and frequent distribution, and be at least as accessible
to map users as notice in the Federal Register. All notices under
this subsection shall include information on how to obtain copies
of the changes or revisions.
‘‘(i) COMPENDIA OF FLOOD MAP CHANGES.—Every 6 months,
the Director shall publish separately in their entirety within a
compendium, all changes and revisions to flood insurance map
panels and all letters of map amendment and letters of map revision
for which notice was published in the Federal Register or otherwise
provided during the preceding 6 months. The Director shall make
such compendia available, free of charge, to Federal entities for
lending regulation, Federal agency lenders, and States and commu-
nities participating in the national flood insurance program pursu-
ant to section 1310 and at cost to all other parties. Any receipts
resulting from this subsection shall be deposited in the National
Flood Insurance Fund, pursuant to section 1310(b)(6).
‘‘(j) PROVISION OF INFORMATION.—In the implementation of revi-
sions to and updates of flood insurance rate maps, the Director
shall share information, to the extent appropriate, with the Under
Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and representa-
tives from State coastal zone management programs.’’.