[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3781 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3781

 To provide for hurricane and flood protection and coastal restoration 
      projects in the State of Louisiana, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 3, 2006

  Mr. Vitter introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for hurricane and flood protection and coastal restoration 
      projects in the State of Louisiana, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Disaster Preparedness and Hazard 
Mitigation Improvement Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. HAZARD MITIGATION.

    (a) In General.--With respect to hazard mitigation activities in 
response to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, the President may 
provide assistance in accordance with section 404(a) of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5170c(a)), except that, notwithstanding that section--
            (1) the President may contribute up to 90 percent of the 
        cost of hazard mitigation measures described in that section;
            (2) the assistance shall be available for not less than 5 
        years; and
            (3) except as provided in subsection (b), the total 
        contributions under that section for a major disaster shall not 
        exceed 15 percent of the estimated aggregate amount of grants 
        to be made under that Act with respect to Hurricane Katrina or 
        Hurricane Rita, as appropriate.
    (b) Approval of Enhanced Plan.--For purposes of calculating total 
contributions under subsection (a)(3), the President may consider an 
enhanced plan of the State of Louisiana or Mississippi to have been 
approved under section 322 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5165) at the time at which a 
major disaster relating to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita was 
declared by the President to exist on or after August 29, 2005, in 
accordance with section 401 of that Act (42 U.S.C. 5170), if the Under 
Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, acting through the 
Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, approves the plan 
by not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. HURRICANE AND FLOOD PROTECTION AND COASTAL RESTORATION 
              PROJECTS.

    (a) In General.--Any funds made available for hazard mitigation in 
the State of Louisiana under section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c), as 
modified by section 2, in excess of $500,000,000 may be made available, 
as the Governor of the State of Louisiana determines to be appropriate, 
for--
            (1) the design and construction of hurricane and flood 
        protection projects and coastal restoration projects in the 
        State to reduce storm surge in any area in the State in which a 
        major disaster relating to Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita 
        was declared by the President to exist on or after August 29, 
        2005, in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford 
        Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170);
            (2) the construction and improvement of Federal-aid 
        highways (including interstate routes) or State highways within 
        an area described in paragraph (1) that the Governor of the 
        State determines to be integral for the evacuation of southern 
        Louisiana in response to a hurricane or other disaster; and
            (3) carrying out any coordinated effort authorized by the 
        Governor (including through grants provided to faith-based 
        organizations) relating to--
                    (A) environment or land use management;
                    (B) economic development;
                    (C) the acquisition or disposition of property, in 
                accordance with subsection (b);
                    (D) property management; or
                    (E) urban homesteading.
    (b) Acquisition of Property.--No funds made available pursuant to 
this Act shall be used to acquire property or an interest in property 
without the consent of the owner of the property or interest.
                                 <all>