I 112th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6034 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 27, 2012 Mr. Garamendi (for himself, Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California, Ms. Richardson, Mr. Loebsack, Mr. Stark, and Mr. Thompson of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services A BILL To provide for the establishment of a task force to conduct a study to analyze the challenges faced by agricultural areas and rural communities designated as an area having special flood hazards for purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Advancing Agricultural Floodplain Management Act of 2012.

2.

Task force to advance agricultural floodplain management in the National Flood Insurance Program

(a)

Definitions

In this section: (1)

Agricultural areas and rural communities

The term agricultural areas and rural communities refers to areas where substantially all of the land-use is agricultural along with communities that are located in an area where a substantial portion of the economy, currently is and historically was, based on agricultural production. (2)

Administrator

The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (3)

Secretary

The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture. (b)

Establishment; study

The Administrator and the Secretary shall jointly establish a task force that shall conduct a study to analyze the challenges faced by agricultural areas and rural communities designated as an area having special flood hazards for purposes of the National Flood Insurance Program under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.). (c)

Membership

The task force shall consist of 13 members, including the Administrator and Secretary, or their designees. All other members shall be appointed jointly by the Administrator and the Secretary as follows: (1)One individual who is a representative of a national farm organization or a national agricultural commodities organization. (2)One individual who is a representative of the insurance industry or the financial and banking industry. (3)One individual who is a representative of a national floodplain management organization or a national organization of flood and stormwater management agencies. (4)One individual who is a representative of agricultural floodplain interests. (5)Three local landowners or farmers (or both) or representatives from local flood control associations in impacted areas, including the Central Valley of California, the Mississippi Valley, and the Missouri Valley. (6)Two individuals who are elected officials of units of general local governments who represent agricultural areas and rural communities. (7)Two individuals who have an interest or expertise in the issues specified in subsection (b). (d)

Co-Chairs

The Administrator and the Secretary, or their designees, shall serve as co-chairs of the task force. (e)

Staff

The Administrator and the Secretary may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the personnel of such agencies to the task force to assist the task force in carrying out its duties under this section. (f)

Report

Not later than one year after the appointment of the members of task force, the task force shall submit to the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report regarding the study conducted pursuant to subsection (b) that shall include any findings and conclusions of the study and recommended changes to the National Flood Insurance Program to strengthen the economic viability and vitality of agricultural areas and rural communities. The report shall include an analysis and recommendations regarding the following: (1)Impacts of the building restrictions of the National Flood Insurance Program on the repair, rehabilitation, replacement, construction, or alteration of agricultural production structures and repair, rehabilitation, construction, or replacement of associated rural community properties supporting the agricultural economy of the agricultural areas and rural communities. (2)Changes to the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, regulations, or policy that might mitigate the impacts identified under paragraph (1). (3)The feasibility, advantages, and disadvantages of the establishment of a new National Flood Insurance Program flood zone for agricultural areas and rural communities. (4)Options for the National Flood Insurance Program to offer lower cost insurance in agricultural areas and rural communities due to lower losses associated with low-density population and structures of the rural area. (5)Financial implications to the National Flood Insurance Program if lower cost flood insurance was offered by the National Flood Insurance Program to agricultural areas and rural communities. (6)Premiums paid to and claims paid by the National Flood Insurance Program in agricultural areas and rural communities since the creation of the National Flood Insurance Program and a comparison of these figures to those in urban areas. (7)The potential impacts to economy and life safety from the allowance of in-fill construction or building expansion in agricultural areas and rural communities. (g)

Termination

The task force shall terminate 120 days after the date of the submission of the report under subsection (f).