[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 82 (Wednesday, May 12, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2488-S2490]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Rubio, and Ms. Duckworth):
S. 1581. A bill to require the Administrator of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency to carry out a pilot program to enhance the mapping
of urban flooding and associated property damage and the availability
of that mapped data to homeowners, businesses, and localities to help
understand and mitigate the risk of such flooding, and for other
purposes; to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 1581
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 ``Flood Mapping Modernization
and Homeowner Empowerment Pilot Program Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. FLOOD MAPPING MODERNIZATION AND HOMEOWNER EMPOWERMENT
PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(2) Coastal.--The term ``coastal'' means, with respect to a
unit of general local government, that the unit borders a
body of water that--
(A) is more than 2,000 square miles in size; and
(B) is not a river.
(3) Pelagic.--The term ``pelagic'' means, with respect to a
unit of general local government, that--
(A) the unit is a coastal unit; and
(B) the body of water that the unit borders is--
(i) an ocean; or
(ii) a large, open body of water, including a bay or a
gulf, that empties into an ocean.
(4) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the
pilot program carried out by the Administrator under this
section.
(5) Urban flooding.--The term ``urban flooding''--
(A) means the inundation, by water, of property in a built
environment, particularly in a densely populated area, that--
(i) is caused by falling rain--
(I) collecting on an impervious surface; or
(II) increasing the level of a body of water that is
located near that built environment; and
(ii) overwhelms the capacity of drainage systems in the
built environment, such as storm sewers;
(B) includes--
(i) a situation in which stormwater enters a building
through a window, door, or other opening;
(ii) the backup of water through a sewer pipe, shower,
toilet, sink, or floor drain;
(iii) the seepage of water through a wall or a floor;
(iv) the accumulation of water on property or a public
right-of-way; and
(v) the overflow from a body of water, such as a river,
lake, or ocean; and
(C) does not include flooding in an undeveloped or
agricultural area.
(6) Urbanized area.--The term ``urbanized area'' means an
area that has been defined and designated as an urbanized
area by the Bureau of the Census during the most recently
completed decennial census.
(b) Establishment.--The Administrator shall carry out a
pilot program to make grants to units of local government
to--
[[Page S2489]]
(1) enhance the production of maps relating to urban
flooding and associated property damage; and
(2) increase the availability of the maps described in
paragraph (1) to homeowners, businesses, and units of local
government to enable those entities to minimize the risk of
urban flooding.
(c) Objectives.--Amounts from grants made under the pilot
program may be used only to carry out activities that meet
the following objectives:
(1) Developing a methodology for assessing the risk of
urban flooding through the deployment of technology-based
mapping tools that--
(A) are easily understandable by the public; and
(B) effectively convey information regarding the level of
flood risk.
(2) Providing structure-specific projections of annual
chance flood frequency.
(3) Providing structure-based flood risk assessments.
(4) Providing program design for the mitigation of the risk
of urban flooding.
(5) Incorporating information regarding climate trends into
urban flooding risk assessments.
(6) Making the information described in this subsection
publicly available on the internet through a web-based portal
so as to increase transparency regarding homeowner flood
risks.
(d) Eligible Recipients.--
(1) In general.--A grant under the pilot program may be
made only to--
(A) a unit of general local government that is located in
an urbanized area with a population of more than 50,000
individuals; or
(B) a stormwater management authority of a unit of general
local government described in subparagraph (A).
(2) One-time grants.--A grant under the pilot program may
not be made to--
(A) any unit of general local governmental, or the
stormwater management authority of a unit of general local
government, that previously received a grant under the pilot
program;
(B) any unit of general local government if the stormwater
management agency for that unit previously received a grant
under the pilot program; or
(C) any stormwater management agency of a unit of general
local government if that unit previously received a grant
under the pilot program.
(3) Treatment of certain stormwater management
authorities.--
(A) In general.--In the case of a stormwater management
authority that operates with respect to more than 1 unit of
general local government, the application of that authority
shall be considered for purposes of paragraph (2) of this
subsection and subsections (f), (g), and (h)(1) to be made
for the largest unit of general local government with respect
to which that authority operates.
(B) Rule of construction.--Nothing in subparagraph (A) may
be construed to limit the ability of a stormwater management
authority described in that subparagraph to carry out
activities under a demonstration project in any other
jurisdiction in, or with respect to any other unit of local
government with, which that authority operates.
(e) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant under the
pilot program, a unit of general local government or a
stormwater management agency shall submit to the
Administrator an application in such form and containing such
information as the Administrator shall require.
(f) Selection of Recipients.--
(1) Annual selection.--Subject to paragraph (2), and to the
submission of approvable applications, in each fiscal year
for which amounts are made available for grants under the
pilot program, the Administrator shall select, from among
applications submitted under subsection (e) for that fiscal
year, 3 units of general government or stormwater management
authorities to receive grants under the pilot program.
(2) Aggregate limit.--Subject only to the submission of
approvable applications, the Administrator shall select, in
the aggregate over the entire duration of the pilot program,
12 units of general government or stormwater management
authorities to receive grants under the pilot program, as
follows:
(A) Tier 1.--Three of the applicants selected shall be
units of general local government, or stormwater management
authorities for those units, each of which has a population
of more than 800,000 individuals, as follows:
(i) Pelagic coastal city.--One shall be--
(I) a unit of general local government that is a pelagic
unit; or
(II) a stormwater authority for a unit described in
subclause (I).
(ii) Non-pelagic coastal city.--One shall be--
(I) a unit of general local government that--
(aa) is a coastal unit; and
(bb) is not a pelagic unit; or
(II) a stormwater authority for a unit described in
subclause (I).
(iii) Non-coastal city.--One shall be--
(I) a unit of general local government that is not a
coastal unit; or
(II) a stormwater authority for a unit described in
subclause (I).
(B) Tier 2.--Six of the applicants selected shall be units
of general local government, or stormwater management
authorities for those units, each of which has a population
of more than 200,000 individuals and not more than 800,000
individuals, as follows:
(i) Coastal cities.--Three shall be--
(I) units of general local government that are coastal
units; or
(II) stormwater management authorities for units described
in subclause (I).
(ii) Non-coastal cities.--Three shall be--
(I) units of general local government that are not coastal
units; or
(II) stormwater management authorities for units described
in subclause (I).
(C) Tier 3.--Three of the applicants selected shall be--
(i) units of general local government, each of which has a
population of more than 50,000 individuals and not more than
200,000 individuals; or
(ii) stormwater management authorities for units described
in clause (i).
(g) Priority.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall select applicants
for grants under the pilot program based on the extent to
which the applications of those applicants shall achieve the
objectives described in subsection (c).
(2) Tiers 2 and 3.--In selecting applicants to receive
grants under the pilot program under subparagraphs (B) and
(C) of subsection (f)(2), the Administrator shall give
priority to applicants--
(A) that are highly vulnerable to sea level rise;
(B) within which are located a military installation or
another facility relating to national security concerns; or
(C) that have--
(i) populations that are highly vulnerable to urban
flooding; and
(ii) an uneven capacity for flood mitigation and response
efforts resulting from socioeconomic factors.
(h) Amount.--
(1) Considerations.--In determining the amount of a grant
under the pilot program, the Administrator shall consider the
population of the grant recipient, which may be considered in
terms of the tier under subsection (f)(2) with respect to the
recipient.
(2) Federal share.--The amount of a grant under the pilot
program may not exceed 75 percent of the total cost incurred
in carrying out the activities described in subsection (c).
(i) Duration.--The Administrator shall require each
recipient of a grant under the pilot program to complete the
activities described in subsection (c), which shall be,
subject to subsection (h)(2), carried out using the grant
amounts, not later than 18 months after the date on which the
recipient initially receives the grant amounts under the
pilot program.
(j) Use of Census Data.--The Administrator shall make all
determinations regarding population under the pilot program
by using data from the most recently completed decennial
census by the Bureau of the Census.
(k) Grantee Reports to FEMA.--Each recipient of a grant
under the pilot program shall, not later than 30 months after
the date on which the recipient initially receives the grant
amounts, submit to the Administrator a report that
describes--
(1) the activities carried out with the grant amounts;
(2) how the activities carried out with the grant amounts
have met the objectives described in subsection (c);
(3) any lessons learned in carrying out the activities
described in paragraph (2); and
(4) any recommendations for future mapping modernization
efforts by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
(l) Biennial Reports by FEMA.--Not later than 2 years after
the date of enactment of this Act, and not less frequently
than once every 2 years thereafter until the date on which
all activities carried out with amounts from grants under the
pilot program are completed, the Administrator shall submit
to Congress and make available to the public on an internet
website a report that--
(1) describes--
(A) the progress of the activities carried out with amounts
from those grants; and
(B) the effectiveness of technology-based mapping tools
used in carrying out the activities described in subparagraph
(A); and
(2) with respect to the final report that the Administrator
is required to submit under this subsection, includes
recommendations to Congress and the executive branch of the
Federal Government for implementing strategies, practices,
and technologies to mitigate the effects of urban flooding.
(m) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that,
because the pilot program is limited with respect to scope
and resources, communities that participate in the pilot
program should acknowledge that the most successful efforts
to mitigate the effects of urban flooding--
(1) take a structural-based mitigation approach with
respect to construction, which includes--
(A) recognizing any post-storm damage that may occur; and
(B) pursuing designs that proactively minimize future flood
damage;
(2) make individuals in the community aware, through any
cost-effective and available means of education, of the best
approaches regarding the construction of properties that are
able to survive floods, which reduces the cost of future
repairs; and
(3) encourage home and property owners to consider the
measures described in paragraphs (1) and (2), which are the
most cost-
[[Page S2490]]
effective and prudent ways to reduce the impact of flooding,
when constructing or renovating building components.
(n) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated for
grants under the pilot program--
(1) $1,200,000 for fiscal year 2022; and
(2) $4,300,000 for fiscal year 2023, to remain available
through fiscal year 2025.
______
By Mr. TUBERVILLE (for himself, Mr. Tillis, and Mr. Rounds):
S. 1582. A bill to provide for enhanced Federal enforcement of, and
State and local assistance in the enforcement of, the immigration laws
of the United States, and for other purposes; to the Committee on the
Judiciary.
Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, I join my colleagues today during
Police Week to honor the work of our Nation's law enforcement officers.
Being a law enforcement officer is one of the toughest jobs that
there is, but it is also foundational to a functioning society. We rely
on these brave men and women to protect and serve our country every
day.
Unfortunately, many officers are being driven out by a wave of anti-
police rhetoric on the heels of bad actors who operated outside of
their training. We need to have trust between law enforcement and
citizens. Without it, our society frays and decays.
Over the course of this week, my colleagues are sharing many stories
of law enforcement officers stepping up to help their fellow citizens
in times of need and build trust with the communities that they serve.
We are lucky to have many brave and honorable officers in Alabama and
around this country.
I think about Officer Jonathan Espino from the Decatur Police
Department. Last year, Officer Espino responded to a medical call. A
man was trying to bring his mom back to life, trying to perform CPR.
Officer Espino took over for the man after he arrived and began CPR.
Just before medical personnel arrived, the woman's heart started
beating again, and she was gasping for air. He saved her life.
I think of Officer Wesley Harrison from the Abbeville Police
Department. Officer Harrison received a call that a woman was in a
burning building. Officer Harrison arrived on the scene minutes later
and was able to carry the elderly woman out of the structure, with the
help of another investigator.
These police officers went above and beyond the call of duty, and
lives were saved because of their heroism. But we know such an
important job comes with great risk. Just last week, Alabama honored
the 11 law enforcement officers who gave the ultimate sacrifice the
last 2 years. In the last 2 days alone across the United States of
America, four law enforcement officers have been killed. We are forever
grateful to each of these officers who have laid down their lives in
service for their community.
How would you like to every day wake up, put a uniform on, a badge on
your chest, a gun on your side, leave your family, walk out the door,
knowing it might be the last time you ever walk into that home or see
your family? That is what happens to these law enforcement officers
every day of their career, which is why I firmly believe we need more
support for law enforcement, not less.
They need more training so they can be better at handling difficult
situations. This is especially true as we see an uptick in mental
health issues all across this country. They need targeted resources so
they can recruit the best and brightest for these important roles in
the community and across our country. Let's invest in the resources
that they can ensure all law enforcement officers are a true force for
good for all people across their State and across this country.
Part of keeping communities safe is making sure our law enforcement
officers have the authority they need to enforce compliance with our
current laws. This is especially necessary as we see a flood of
immigrants coming into our country illegally.
Right now, unless State and local law enforcement agencies have an
agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, if an officer
encounters an illegal alien in the course of performing their normal
duties in their hometowns, they cannot arrest or detain that individual
for immigration purposes.
Right now, ICE arrests are low, even while illegal border crossings
are historically high. Under President Biden's enforcement of our
immigration laws, which has fallen dramatically, arrests by ICE for the
last 4 months have fallen 66 percent. Under the Biden administration,
ICE has released at least 3,700 inmates. Alarmingly, 1,800 of those
were charged or convicted of crimes including homicide, rape, assault,
child abuse, and more. Secretary Mayorkas recently limited the places
where ICE and CBP can enforce the law. Many Federal law enforcement
officers fear that the Biden administration will further restrict where
they can do their jobs.
If the Federal Government will not enforce the immigration laws, our
State and local law enforcement should be empowered to do so. That is
why today I introduced the Empowering Law Enforcement Act, which grants
inherent authority to State and local officials to enforce our Nation's
immigration laws.
Additionally, my bill will give Federal authorities the flexibility
to extend the amount of time they can detain criminal aliens. If a
State or local law enforcement entity is detaining an alien, this bill
would require Homeland Security to take that illegal alien into custody
upon request from that entity.
The bill ensures that State and local authorities can get reimbursed
for the cost related to the incarceration and transportation of the
alien.
The Empowering Law Enforcement Act is about common sense. If the
Biden administration won't enforce the law, let's empower those who
will. I urge my colleagues to support this practical solution to a very
real and very serious problem.
______
By Mr. KENNEDY (for himself and Ms. Sinema):
S. 1585. A bill to add suicide prevention resources to school
identification cards; considered and passed.
S. 1585
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 ``Improving Mental Health
Access for Students Act''.
SEC. 2. ADDING SUICIDE PREVENTION CONTACT INFORMATION TO
SCHOOL IDENTIFICATION CARDS.
(a) In General.--Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end
the following:
``(30)(A) In the case of an institution that creates and
distributes identification cards for students at any time
after the date of enactment of this paragraph, such
institution shall include phone contact information on each
such card for the following organizations:
``(i) The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
``(ii) Crisis Text Line.
``(iii) A campus mental health center or program, as
determined by the institution.
``(B) In the case of an institution that does not create
and distribute identification cards for students at any time
after the date of enactment of this paragraph, such
institution shall publish the suicide prevention contact
information specified in subparagraph (A) on the website of
such institution.
``(C) If an organization in clause (i) or (ii) of
subparagraph (A) ceases to exist, the Secretary may designate
a different entity with a similar purpose to be included on
the identification card.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect beginning on the day that is 1 year after
the date of enactment of this Act.
____________________