H.R. 2742 — Introduced in House

I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2742 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 18, 2013 Mrs. Noem (for herself and Mr. Cramer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To require the Army Corps of Engineers to notify the public of certain flood predictions regarding the Missouri River System, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Army Corps of Engineers Communications Accountability Act of 2013. 2. Notification and consultation requirements (a) In general If the Chief of Engineers makes an upper quartile determination or an upper decile determination, the Chief of Engineers shall notify the public of such determination, and consult with affected governments, in accordance with this section. (b) Notification Not later than 7 days after making a determination described in subsection (a), the Chief of Engineers shall notify the public that such determination has been made. (c) Consultation (1) In general If the Chief of Engineers makes an upper decile determination, an affected government may request a consultation with the Chief of Engineers. (2) Deadline If an affected government requests a consultation under paragraph (1), the Chief of Engineers shall provide such consultation not later than 7 days after receiving the request. (3) Contents The Chief of Engineers may provide in a consultation under this subsection— (A) information regarding expected water levels; (B) advice regarding appropriate preparedness actions; (C) technical assistance; and (D) any other information or assistance determined appropriate by the Chief of Engineers. (d) Definitions In this section: (1) Affected government The term affected government means a State, local, or tribal government with jurisdiction over an area that will be affected by a flood occurring in the Missouri River System, as determined by the Chief of Engineers in an upper decile determination. (2) Annual operating plan The term annual operating plan means a plan prepared by the Chief of Engineers that describes potential water conditions scenarios for the Missouri River System for a year. (3) Upper decile determination The term upper decile determination means a determination that runoff conditions in the Missouri River System are likely to reach the upper decile scenario specified for a year in an annual operating plan. (4) Upper quartile determination The term upper quartile determination means a determination that runoff conditions in the Missouri River System are likely to reach the upper quartile scenario specified for a year in an annual operating plan.