119-s374

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 374 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 374

To establish a pilot program for property acquisition projects, and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 3, 2025

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

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To establish a pilot program for property acquisition projects, 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 ``Direct Property Acquisitions Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM FOR PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
 Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

    (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
 ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
        (A) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
 Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
        (B) the Committee on Transportation and 
 Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.

    (3) Covered community.--The term ``covered community'' 
 means a local government determined by the Administrator to be 
 able to meet relevant Federal and State statutory and 
 regulatory requirements for hazard mitigation assistance--
        (A) with limited assistance from the State in which 
 the local government is located; and
        (B) for which the Administrator received positive 
 feedback from the State in which the local government 
 is located relating to eligibility for the pilot 
 program.

    (4) Local government; state.--The terms ``local 
 government'' and ``State'' have the meanings given those terms 
 in 

section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).

    (5) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the 
 pilot program established under subsection

    (b) .

    (b) Establishment.--The Administrator shall carry out a pilot 
program under which covered communities may directly apply to the 
Administrator for hazard mitigation assistance for the purposes of 
property acquisition and structure demolition or relocation assistance 
under 

section 404

    (b) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170c

    (b) ).
            (c) Selection.--

    (1) Considerations.--In determining whether a local 
 government is a covered community for purposes of the pilot 
 program, the Administrator shall--
        (A) consult with the State in which the local 
 government is located before determining the 
 suitability of the local government for the pilot 
 program; and
        (B) provide a written justification to the local 
 government and the State in which the local government 
 is located for selecting or not selecting the local 
 government for the pilot program, which shall be based 
 on--
            (i) the prior performance and current 
 processes of the local government relating to 
 property acquisitions and other hazard 
 mitigation projects;
            (ii) the level of need in the local 
 government in conducting or completing future 
 or ongoing property acquisition and structure 
 demolition or relocation assistance projects;
            (iii) the risks posed to the local 
 government by inclement weather; and
            (iv) such other matters as the 
 Administrator determines relevant.

    (2) Criteria.--
        (A) In general.--The Administrator shall select not 
 more than 2 local governments from each Federal 
 Emergency Management Agency region to participate in 
 the pilot program.
        (B) Limitation.--Not more than 1 local government 
 shall be selected from a State within a Federal 
 Emergency Management Agency region.
            (C) Federal register notice.--Not later than 1 year 
 after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
 Administrator shall publish in the Federal Register a 
 notice detailing the requirements for local governments 
 seeking to participate in the pilot program.

    (3) Length of participation.--A covered community may not 
 participate in the pilot program for a period of more than 48 
 months.
            (d) Annual Report.--The Administrator shall submit to the 
appropriate congressional committees an annual report on the 
effectiveness of the pilot program, which shall include--

    (1) a summary of the relevant characteristics of covered 
 communities selected for the pilot program, including relevant 
 demographic information, the number of properties in the 
 covered community participating in the National Flood Insurance 
 Program, and whether each covered community was frequently 
 impacted by other, non-flooding-related major disasters;

    (2) a determination of whether the pilot program 
 significantly expedited the property acquisition process of the 
 Federal Emergency Management Agency in covered communities that 
 participated in the pilot program;

    (3) an evaluation of the problems, or potential problems, 
 caused or likely to be caused by permanently allowing covered 
 communities to directly apply for hazard mitigation assistance 
 for the purposes of property acquisition and structure 
 demolition or relocation assistance under 

section 404

    (b) of the 
 Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act 
 (42 U.S.C. 5170c

    (b) ), which shall be informed by--
        (A) feedback from covered communities participating 
 in the pilot program;
        (B) the States in which the covered communities 
 participating in the pilot program are located; and
            (C) such other factors as the Administrator 
 determines relevant; and

    (4) an evaluation of whether the pilot program should be 
 made permanent, ended, or extended for a certain period of 
 time.

    (e) Termination.--The pilot program shall terminate not later than 
8 years after the date on which the Administrator selects the covered 
communities for participation in the pilot program under subsection
            (c) (2) .

    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the pilot 
program.
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