I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3415 
To suspend flood insurance rate map updates in geographic areas in which 
certain levees are being repaired. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 30, 2009 
Mr. COSTELLO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To suspend flood insurance rate map updates in geographic 
areas in which certain levees are being repaired. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SUSPENSION OF FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP 
UPDATES IN GEOGRAPHIC AREAS IN WHICH 
CERTAIN LEVEES ARE BEING REPAIRED. 
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 subsection: 
‘‘(k) SUSPENSION OF FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP 
UPDATES IN CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIC AREAS.— 
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‘‘(1) SUSPENSION.—Except as provided in 
paragraph (2), the Director shall not update a flood 
plain area or a flood risk zone in accordance with 
subsection (f) in a geographic area that meets the 
following conditions: 
‘‘(A) The geographic area is intended to be 
protected by a levee determined by the Army 
Corps of Engineers to have a design deficiency. 
‘‘(B) The entity responsible for the repair 
of such levee has implemented a plan to repair 
the levee that— 
‘‘(i) has been developed by the Army 
Corps of Engineers or a professional engi-
neer licensed by a State licensing board; 
‘‘(ii) has been approved by the Army 
Corps of Engineers or the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency; 
‘‘(iii) is based on sufficient and rea-
sonably current design data that accurately 
reflects the condition of such levee and 
other flood protection facilities in the geo-
graphic area; 
‘‘(iv) upon competion of the repair will 
provide protection from the one percent 
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annual chance flood for the geographic 
area; and 
‘‘(v) includes an adequate financing 
mechanism to pay for the implementation 
of the plan. 
‘‘(C) Each State or local government with 
jurisdiction over any portion of the geographic 
area has developed and implemented a surveil-
lance and operations plan to provide for timely 
alerts and immediate remedial action when sig-
nificant underseepage or potential failure occurs 
in such portion of the geographic area. 
‘‘(D) Each State or local government with 
jurisdiction over any portion of the geographic 
area has an evacuation plan to be implemented 
in the event of flooding in such portion of the 
geographic area. 
‘‘(E) Each State or local government with 
jurisdiction over any portion of the geographic 
area has developed and implemented an out-
reach and communication plan to advise occu-
pants in such portion of the geographic area of 
potential flood risks, the opportunity to pur-
chase flood insurance, and the consequences of 
failure to purchase flood insurance. 
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‘‘(2) EXCEPTIONS.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply with respect to a geographic area if— 
‘‘(A) the Director determines that such ge-
ographic area is protected by a flood protection 
system that provides protection from the one 
percent annual chance flood; or 
‘‘(B) the Director has suspended the up-
dating of flood plain areas or flood risk zones 
in such geographic area in accordance with 
paragraph (1) for seven consecutive years.’’. 
Æ 
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