[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6010 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6010

To ensure that flood level estimates in the Great Lakes basin represent 
                            true flood risk.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2006

   Mrs. Miller of Michigan introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To ensure that flood level estimates in the Great Lakes basin represent 
                            true flood risk.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Accurate Great Lakes Flood Estimate 
Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. GREAT LAKES FLOOD LEVEL STUDY AND LIMITATION OF FLOOD ELEVATION 
              INCREASES.

    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) Great Lakes Flood Level Studies.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than the expiration of the 90-
        day period beginning upon the completion by the International 
        Joint Commission of The Upper Great Lakes Study, and not later 
        than every 15 years after the expiration of such period, the 
        Director shall request the Corps of Engineers to complete an 
        updated analysis of flood levels for areas surrounding the 
        Great Lakes and their interconnecting channels to assist the 
        Director in the development of maps identifying 100- and 500-
        year flood inundation areas for those areas.
            ``(2) Requirements.--The Director shall request the Corps 
        of Engineers, in each determination of flood levels pursuant to 
        paragraph (1), to--
                    ``(A) utilize base data from The Upper Great Lakes 
                Study conducted by the International Joint Commission;
                    ``(B) utilize base data from the International Lake 
                Ontario-St. Lawrence River Study conducted by the 
                International Joint Commission;
                    ``(C) incorporate changes in the regulation of Lake 
                Ontario water levels and outflows;
                    ``(D) incorporate changes in the regulation of Lake 
                Superior water levels and outflows; and
                    ``(E) incorporate current and historical factors 
                other than recorded water levels that may influence 
                water levels and the determination of flood level 
                estimates.
            ``(3) Validity of study.--The Director shall take such 
        actions as may be necessary to ensure that the flood levels 
        determined pursuant to each request under paragraph (1) are 
        valid and appropriate for use for purposes of the national 
        flood insurance program.
            ``(4) Completion of study.--In making each request under 
        paragraph (1), the Director shall request that the Corps of 
        Engineers complete the updated flood level analysis not later 
        than 24 months after the request is made.
            ``(5) Limitation of elevation increases.--The Director 
        shall not increase the base flood elevation in any community in 
        areas surrounding the Great Lakes and their interconnecting 
        channels until the Corps of Engineers completes the first 
        updated flood level analysis pursuant to a request under 
        paragraph (1).
            ``(6) Definitions.--For purposes of this paragraph, the 
        following definitions shall apply:
                    ``(A) The term `Great Lakes' means Lake Superior, 
                Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
                    ``(B) The term `interconnecting channels' means, 
                with respect to the Great Lakes, the St. Mary's River, 
                St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, the 
                Niagara River, and the St. Lawrence River.''.
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