33 USC 3303a - Levee safety initiative

U.S Code last checked for updates: May 06, 2024

Levee safety initiative

(a)

Establishment

(b)

Management

The Secretary shall appoint—

(1)

an administrator of the levee safety initiative; and

(2)

such staff as are necessary to implement the initiative.

(c)

Levee safety guidelines

(1)

Establishment

Not later than 1 year after December 16, 2016, the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator and in coordination with State, regional, local, and tribal governments and organizations with expertise in levee safety, shall establish a set of voluntary, comprehensive, national levee safety guidelines that—

(A)

are available for common, uniform use by all Federal, State, regional, local, and tribal agencies;

(B)

incorporate policies, procedures, standards, and criteria for a range of levee types, canal structures, and related facilities and features; and

(C)

provide for adaptation to local, regional, or watershed conditions.

(2)

Requirement

(3)

Incorporation

The guidelines shall address, to the maximum extent practicable—

(A)

the activities and practices carried out by State, regional, local, and tribal governments and the private sector to safely build, regulate, operate, and maintain levees; and

(B)

Federal activities that facilitate State, regional, or tribal efforts to develop and implement effective State, regional, or tribal programs for the safety of levees, including levee inspection, levee rehabilitation, locally developed floodplain management, and public education and training programs.

(4)

Consideration by Federal agencies

(5)

Public comment

Prior to finalizing the guidelines under this subsection, the Secretary shall—

(A)

issue draft guidelines for public comment, including comment by States, regional districts, Indian tribes, non-Federal interests, and other appropriate stakeholders; and

(B)

consider any comments received in the development of final guidelines.

(d)

Hazard potential classification system

(1)

Establishment

(2)

Revision

(3)

Consistency

(e)

Technical assistance and materials

(1)

Establishment

The Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator, shall provide technical assistance and training to promote levee safety and assist States, regional districts, Indian tribes, communities, and levee owners in—

(A)

developing levee safety programs;

(B)

identifying and reducing flood risks associated with levees;

(C)

identifying local actions that may be carried out to reduce flood risks in leveed areas; and

(D)

rehabilitating, improving, replacing, reconfiguring, modifying, and removing levees and levee systems.

(2)

Eligibility

To be eligible to receive technical assistance under this subsection, a State shall—

(A)

be in the process of establishing or have in effect a State levee safety program under which a State levee safety agency, in accordance with State law, carries out the guidelines established under subsection (c)(1); and

(B)

allocate sufficient funds in the budget of that State to carry out that State levee safety program.

(3)

Work plans

(f)

Public education and awareness

(1)

In general

(2)

Contents

In carrying out the efforts under paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Administrator shall—

(A)

educate individuals living in leveed areas regarding the risks of living in those areas; and

(B)

promote consistency in the transmission of information regarding levees among Federal agencies and regarding risk communication at the State and local levels.

(g)

State, regional, and tribal levee safety program

(1)

Guidelines

(A)

In general

(B)

Guideline contents

The guidelines under subparagraph (A) shall include provisions and procedures requiring each participating State, regional district, and Indian tribe to certify to the Secretary that the State, regional district, or Indian tribe, as applicable—

(i)

has the authority to participate in the levee safety initiative;

(ii)

can receive funds under this chapter;

(iii)

has adopted any levee safety guidelines developed under this chapter;

(iv)

will carry out levee inspections;

(v)

will carry out, consistent with applicable requirements, flood risk management and any emergency action planning procedures the Secretary determines to be necessary relating to levees;

(vi)

will carry out public education and awareness activities consistent with the efforts carried out under subsection (f); and

(vii)

will collect and share information regarding the location and condition of levees, including for inclusion in the national levee database.

(C)

Public comment

Prior to finalizing the guidelines under this paragraph, the Secretary shall—

(i)

issue draft guidelines for public comment; and

(ii)

consider any comments received in the development of final guidelines.

(2)

Assistance to States, regional districts, and Indian tribes

(A)

Establishment

(B)

Requirements

To be eligible to receive assistance under this section, a State, regional district, or Indian tribe shall—

(i)

meet the requirements of a participating program established by the guidelines issued under paragraph (1);

(ii)

use not less than 25 percent of any amounts received to identify and assess non-Federal levees within the State or regional district or on land of the Indian tribe;

(iii)

submit to the Secretary and Administrator any information collected by the State, regional district, or Indian tribe in carrying out this subsection for inclusion in the national levee safety database; and

(iv)

identify actions to address hazard mitigation activities associated with levees and leveed areas identified in the hazard mitigation plan of the State approved by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).

(C)

Measures to assess effectiveness

(i)

In general

(ii)

Considerations

In assessing the effectiveness of assistance under clause (i), the Administrator shall consider the degree to which the State, regional, or tribal program—

(I)

ensures that human lives and property that are protected by new and existing levees are safe;

(II)

encourages the use of appropriate engineering policies, procedures, and technical practices for levee site investigation, design, construction, operation and maintenance, inspection, assessment, and emergency preparedness;

(III)

develops and supports public education and awareness projects to increase public acceptance and support of levee safety programs and provide information;

(IV)

builds public awareness of the residual risks associated with living in levee protected areas; and

(V)

develops technical assistance materials, seminars, and guidelines to improve the security of levees of the United States.

(D)

Maintenance of effort

(E)

Authorization of appropriations

(i)

In general

(ii)

Allocation

For each fiscal year, amounts made available under this subparagraph shall be allocated among the States, regional districts, and Indian tribes as follows:

(I)

⅓ among States, regional districts, and Indian tribes that qualify for assistance under this subsection.

(II)

⅔ among States, regional districts, and Indian tribes that qualify for assistance under this subsection, to each such State, regional district, or Indian tribe in the proportion that—

(aa)

the miles of levees in the State or regional district or on the land of the Indian tribe that are listed on the inventory of levees; bears to

(bb)

the miles of levees in all States and regional districts and on the land of all Indian tribes that are in the national levee database.

(iii)

Maximum amount of allocation

(F)

Prohibition

(h)

Levee rehabilitation assistance program

(1)

Establishment

(2)

Requirements

To be eligible to receive assistance under this subsection, a State, regional district, Indian tribe, or local government shall—

(A)

participate in, and comply with, all applicable Federal floodplain management and flood insurance programs;

(B)

have in place a hazard mitigation plan that—

(i)

includes all levee risks; and

(ii)

complies with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106–390; 114 Stat. 1552);

(C)

submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require;

(D)

commit to provide normal operation and maintenance of the project for the 50 year-period following completion of rehabilitation; and

(E)

comply with such minimum eligibility requirements as the Secretary, in consultation with the committee, may establish to ensure that each owner and operator of a levee under a participating State, regional, or tribal levee safety program—

(i)

acts in accordance with the guidelines developed under subsection (c); and

(ii)

carries out activities relating to the public in the leveed area in accordance with the hazard mitigation plan described in subparagraph (B).

(3)

Floodplain management plans

(A)

In general

(B)

Inclusions

A plan under subparagraph (A) shall address—

(i)

potential measures, practices, and policies to reduce loss of life, injuries, damage to property and facilities, public expenditures, and other adverse impacts of flooding in each applicable leveed area;

(ii)

plans for flood fighting and evacuation; and

(iii)

public education and awareness of flood risks.

(C)

Implementation

(D)

Guidelines

(E)

Technical support

(4)

Use of funds

(A)

In general

Assistance provided under this subsection may be used—

(i)

for any rehabilitation activity to maximize overall risk reduction associated with a levee under a participating State, regional, or tribal levee safety program; and

(ii)

only for a levee that is not federally operated and maintained.

(B)

Prohibition

Assistance provided under this subsection shall not be used—

(i)

to perform routine operation or maintenance for a levee; or

(ii)

to make any modification to a levee that does not result in an improvement to public safety.

(5)

No proprietary interest

(6)

Cost share

(7)

Project limit

(8)

Limitation

(9)

Federal interest

(10)

Other laws

(11)

Prioritization

(i)

Effect of section

Nothing in this section—

(1)

affects the requirement under section 100226(b)(2) of Public Law 112–141 (42 U.S.C. 4101 note; 126 Stat. 942); or

(2)

confers any regulatory authority on—

(A)

the Secretary; or

(B)

the Administrator, including for the purpose of setting premium rates under the national flood insurance program established under chapter 1 1

 So in original. Probably should be “chapter I”.

of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4011 et seq.).

(Pub. L. 110–114, title IX, § 9005, as added Pub. L. 113–121, title III, § 3016(e)(2), June 10, 2014, 128 Stat. 1293; Pub. L. 114–322, title I, § 1130(c), Dec. 16, 2016, 130 Stat. 1650; Pub. L. 115–270, title I, § 1144(1), Oct. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 3785; Pub. L. 117–263, div. H, title LXXXI, § 8387(b), (c), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3830, 3831.)

cite as: 33 USC 3303a