§ 4022. State and local land use controls

(a) Requirement for participation in flood insurance program

(1) In general

After December 31, 1971, no new flood insurance coverage shall be provided under this chapter in any area (or subdivision thereof) unless an appropriate public body shall have adopted adequate land use and control measures (with effective enforcement provisions) which the Director finds are consistent with the comprehensive criteria for land management and use under section 4102 of this title.

(2) Agricultural structures

(A) Activity restrictions

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the adequate land use and control measures required to be adopted in an area (or subdivision thereof) pursuant to paragraph (1) may provide, at the discretion of the appropriate State or local authority, for the repair and restoration to predamaged conditions of an agricultural structure that—

(i) is a repetitive loss structure; or

(ii) has incurred flood-related damage to the extent that the cost of restoring the structure to its predamaged condition would equal or exceed 50 percent of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.

(B) Premium rates and coverage

To the extent applicable, an agricultural structure repaired or restored pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall pay chargeable premium rates established under section 4015 of this title at the estimated risk premium rates under section 4014 (a)(1) of this title. If resources are available, the Director shall provide technical assistance and counseling, upon request of the owner of the structure, regarding wet flood-proofing and other flood damage reduction measures for agricultural structures. The Director shall not be required to make flood insurance coverage available for such an agricultural structure unless the structure is wet flood-proofed through permanent or contingent measures applied to the structure or its contents that prevent or provide resistance to damage from flooding by allowing flood waters to pass through the structure, as determined by the Director.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any agricultural structure repaired or restored pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall not be eligible for disaster relief assistance under any program administered by the Director or any other Federal agency.

(D) Definitions

For purposes of this paragraph—

(i) the term “agricultural structure” means any structure used exclusively in connection with the production, harvesting, storage, raising, or drying of agricultural commodities; and

(ii) the term “agricultural commodities” means agricultural commodities and livestock.

(b) Community rating system and incentives for community floodplain management

(1) Authority and goals

The Director shall carry out a community rating system program, under which communities participate voluntarily—

(A) to provide incentives for measures that reduce the risk of flood or erosion damage that exceed the criteria set forth in section 4102 of this title and evaluate such measures;

(B) to encourage adoption of more effective measures that protect natural and beneficial floodplain functions;

(D) to promote the reduction of Federal flood insurance losses.

(2) Incentives

The program shall provide incentives in the form of credits on premium rates for flood insurance coverage in communities that the Director determines have adopted and enforced measures that reduce the risk of flood and erosion damage that exceed the criteria set forth in section 4102 of this title. In providing incentives under this paragraph, the Director may provide for credits to flood insurance premium rates in communities that the Director determines have implemented measures that protect natural and beneficial floodplain functions.

(3) Credits

The credits on premium rates for flood insurance coverage shall be based on the estimated reduction in flood and erosion damage risks resulting from the measures adopted by the community under this program. If a community has received mitigation assistance under section 4104c of this title, the credits shall be phased in a manner, determined by the Director, to recover the amount of such assistance provided for the community.

(4) Reports

Not later than 2 years after September 23, 1994, and not less than every 2 years thereafter, the Director shall submit a report to the Congress regarding the program under this subsection. Each report shall include an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the program, any other accomplishments or shortcomings of the program, and any recommendations of the Director for legislation regarding the program.

(1) Community participation

The placement of any mobile home on any site shall not affect the eligibility of any community to participate in the flood insurance program under this chapter and the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 (notwithstanding that such placement may fail to comply with any elevation or flood damage mitigation requirements), if—

(A) such mobile home was previously located on such site;

(B) such mobile home was relocated from such site because of flooding that threatened or affected such site; and

(C) such replacement is conducted not later than the expiration of the 180-day period that begins upon the subsidence (in the area of such site) of the body of water that flooded to a level considered lower than flood levels.

(2) Definition

For purposes of this subsection, the term “mobile home” has the meaning given such term in the law of the State in which the mobile home is located.

U.S. Code

§ 4022. State and local land use controls