HR 5114 RFS 
SEC. 35. STUDY REGARDING MANDATORY PURCHASE RE-
QUIREMENT FOR NON-FEDERALLY RELATED 
LOANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General shall 
conduct a study to assess the impact, effectiveness, and 
feasibility 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 re-
quirements to any property that is located in any area hav-
ing 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 administer and enforce such a requirement, taking 
into consideration 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. 
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SEC. 36. STUDY OF METHODS TO INCREASE FLOOD INSUR-
ANCE PROGRAM PARTICIPATION BY LOW-IN-
COME FAMILIES AND FAMILIES IN RURAL 
COMMUNITIES AND ON INDIAN RESERVA-
TIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of the 
United States shall conduct a study to identify and ana-
lyze potential methods, practices, and incentives that 
would increase 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))), families re-
siding in rural communities, and families who reside on 
Indian reservations, that own residential properties lo-
cated within areas having special flood hazards purchase 
flood insurance coverage for such properties under the na-
tional flood insurance program. In conducting the study, 
the Comptroller General shall analyze the effectiveness 
and costs of the various methods, practices, and incentives 
identified, including their effects on the national flood in-
surance 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. 
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SEC. 37. 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 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency shall conduct a study and submit a report to the 
Committee on Financial Services of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and 
Urban Affairs of the Senate regarding the impact, effec-
tiveness, and feasibility of amending section 1361 of the 
National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4102) 
to include widely used and nationally recognized building 
codes as part of the floodplain management criteria devel-
oped under such section, 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 
policies, and the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency; 
(2) the resources required of State and local 
communities to administer and enforce such a build-
ing code requirement; 
(3) the effectiveness of such a building code re-
quirement in reducing flood-related damage to build-
ings and contents; 
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(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; 
(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; 
(7) the impact of such a building code require-
ment on rural communities with different building 
code challenges than more urban environments; and 
(8) the impact of such a building code require-
ment on Indian reservations. 
SEC. 38. 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 
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency shall submit a report to the Congress setting forth 
a plan for repaying within 10 years all amounts, including 
any amounts previously borrowed but not yet repaid, owed 
pursuant to clause (2) of subsection (a) of section 1309 
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of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
4016(a)(2)). 
SEC. 39. STUDY REGARDING CERTAIN HARBOR AREAS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency shall carry out a study 
to identify the impacts of the National Flood Insurance 
Program on harbor areas that are working waterfronts, 
which shall— 
(1) identify the models and assumptions used 
under such program with respect to wave action in 
working waterfronts and harbors; 
(2) determine whether these are the same mod-
els and assumptions used for open or unprotected 
coast lines; 
(3) identify the assumptions used under such 
program in modeling V-zones; 
(4) identify the underlying basis for projected 
impact of waves on working waterfronts; 
(5) identify the frequency with which individual 
working waterfronts receive revised flood-risk based 
on the data they provide; 
(6) determine the feasibility of basing flood 
maps for such working waterfronts on actual histor-
ical flood and damage data; 
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(7) identify the standards for construction and 
design of working waterfront infrastructure that 
would be needed to safely develop commercial build-
ings in the V-zone; 
(8) determine the economic impacts of the Na-
tional Flood Insurance Program on working water-
fronts and working waterfront dependant businesses; 
(9) identify any new or alternative models that 
may be used to more accurately reflect the risk of 
flooding in working waterfronts and harbor environ-
ments; 
(10) review the current coastal flood insurance 
study guidelines and recommended methodologies; 
(11) determine whether methodologies other 
than those referred to in paragraph (10) should be 
applied with respect to complicated harbors and 
open shorelines; 
(12) review where 2-D ST Wave methodology 
should be applied and where other methodologies 
should be applied; 
(13) review available data on wave attenuation 
through pilings and piers and determine whether a 
physical model for the attenuation of waves in that 
environment can be undertaken to derive such data; 
and 
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(14) include any other information the Adminis-
trator considers relevant to evaluating the flood risk 
and insurance challenges facing working waterfronts. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall sub-
mit to the Congress a report setting forth the results and 
conclusions of the study, including— 
(1) a description of all of the matters identified 
and determined pursuant to subsection (a); and 
(2) an analysis of the feasibility of developing 
a sheltered harbor flood zone for purposes of the 
National Flood Insurance Program that specifically 
recognizes the unique challenges faced by working 
waterfronts and built-up harbors. 
(c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘working 
waterfront’’ means real property (including support struc-
tures over water and other facilities) that provides access 
to coastal waters to persons engaged in commercial fish-
ing, recreational fishing business, boatbuilding, aqua-
culture, or other water-dependent coastal-related business 
and is used for, or that supports, commercial fishing, rec-
reational fishing, boatbuilding, aquaculture, or other 
water-dependent coastal-related business. 
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SEC. 40. STUDY REGARDING HAZARD MODELING. 
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency shall conduct a study to identify and as-
sess the impacts, including short-term and long-term im-
pacts, of significant flooding events and subsequent revi-
sions of hazard modeling and mapping since January 1, 
2000, on the financial soundness of the national flood in-
surance program. The Administrator may enter into an 
agreement with Water Resources Research Institutes to 
conduct the study under this section. The Administrator 
shall provide for a final report regarding the study to be 
submitted to the Congress not later than the expiration 
of the 16-month period beginning on the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. The report may include recommenda-
tions of the Administrator with respect to revising hazard 
modeling and mapping. 
SEC. 41. 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 prop-
erties (as such term is defined in section 578(b) of the 
National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 
4014)), including the impact on the program participation 
rate among owners, renters, and tenants of non-primary 
residences or commercial nonresidential properties. In 
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conducting the study, the Comptroller General shall ana-
lyze the cost effectiveness and effect on local government 
tax base of various options, including an option of imple-
menting such provisions on the severe repetitive loss prop-
erties 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 expi-
ration of the 9-month period beginning on the date of en-
actment of this Act. 
SEC. 42. STUDY OF EFFECTS OF ACT. 
(a) STUDY.—The Administrator of the Federal 
Emergency Management Agency shall conduct a study to 
identify and assess the impacts, including short-term and 
long-term impacts, of this Act and the amendments made 
by this Act on the financial soundness of the national flood 
insurance program. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 12 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 
submit a report to the Congress setting forth the results 
and conclusions of study under subsection (a), which shall 
include specific recommendations for actions to mitigate 
against any negative financial impacts resulting from this 
Act and the amendments made by this Act that could in-
crease the debt of the national flood insurance program. 
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SEC. 43. REIMBURSEMENT FOR COSTS INCURRED BY 
HOMEOWNERS OBTAINING LETTERS OF MAP 
AMENDMENT. 
If the owner of any property located in an area de-
scribed in section 102(i)(1) of the Flood Disaster Protec-
tion Act of 1973 (as added by the preceding provisions 
of this Act) obtains a letter of map amendment during 
the 5-year period for such area referred to in such section, 
the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency shall reimburse such owner, or such entity or ju-
risdiction acting on such owner’s behalf, for any costs in-
curred in obtaining such letter. 
SEC. 44. INTERIM FINAL RULEMAKING. 
The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency shall issue an interim final rule to imple-
ment the amendments made by this Act as soon as prac-
ticable, but not more than 18 months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. The Administrator of the Fed-
eral Emergency Management Agency shall issue a final 
rule within one year after the effective date of the interim 
final rule. In the event that the deadlines in this section 
are not met, the Administrator shall report to the Con-
gress monthly on the status of the rulemakings and the 
reasons for the failure to comply with the statutory dead-
lines. 
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