[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6186 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6186


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 11, 2012

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
                           and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To require a study of voluntary community-based flood insurance options 
  and how such options could be incorporated into the national flood 
               insurance program, 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. STUDIES OF VOLUNTARY COMMUNITY-BASED FLOOD INSURANCE 
              OPTIONS.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) Study required.--The Administrator of the Federal 
        Emergency Management Agency shall conduct a study to assess 
        options, methods, and strategies for making available voluntary 
        community-based flood insurance policies through the National 
        Flood Insurance Program.
            (2) Considerations.--The study conducted under paragraph 
        (1) shall--
                    (A) take into consideration and analyze how 
                voluntary community-based flood insurance policies--
                            (i) would affect communities having varying 
                        economic bases, geographic locations, flood 
                        hazard characteristics or classifications, and 
                        flood management approaches; and
                            (ii) could satisfy the applicable 
                        requirements under section 102 of the Flood 
                        Disaster Protection Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 
                        4012a); and
                    (B) evaluate the advisability of making available 
                voluntary community-based flood insurance policies to 
                communities, subdivisions of communities, and areas of 
                residual risk.
            (3) Consultation.--In conducting the study required under 
        paragraph (1), the Administrator may consult with the 
        Comptroller General of the United States, as the Administrator 
        determines is appropriate.
    (b) Report by the Administrator.--
            (1) Report required.--Not later than 18 months after the 
        date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit 
        to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
        Senate and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
        Representatives a report that contains the results and 
        conclusions of the study conducted under subsection (a).
            (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include recommendations for--
                    (A) the best manner to incorporate voluntary 
                community-based flood insurance policies into the 
                National Flood Insurance Program; and
                    (B) a strategy to implement voluntary community-
                based flood insurance policies that would encourage 
                communities to undertake flood mitigation activities, 
                including the construction, reconstruction, or 
                improvement of levees, dams, or other flood control 
                structures.
    (c) Report by Comptroller General.--Not later than 6 months after 
the date on which the Administrator submits the report required under 
subsection (b), the Comptroller General of the United States shall--
            (1) review the report submitted by the Administrator; and
            (2) submit to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
        Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Financial Services 
        of the House of Representatives a report that contains--
                    (A) an analysis of the report submitted by the 
                Administrator;
                    (B) any comments or recommendations of the 
                Comptroller General relating to the report submitted by 
                the Administrator; and
                    (C) any other recommendations of the Comptroller 
                General relating to community-based flood insurance 
                policies.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 10, 2012.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.