,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ifh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of   
,,representatives  ,march #e1 #bjac ,ms4
 ,matsui introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,financial ,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to    
amend the ,national ,flood ,insurance   
,act of #aifh to allow the rebuilding1  
without elevation1 of certain structures
 located in special flood hazard zones  
that are damaged by fire1 and for other 
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,fire-,damaged ,home
 ,rebuilding ,act of #bjac4  #b4        
,requirements for ,state and local land 
use controls ,subsection 7a7 of section 
#acae of the ,national ,flood ,insurance
 ,act of #aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #djbb7;a77
 is amended by adding at the end the    
following new paragraph3  7#c7          
,allowable local variances for certain  
residential structures  7,a7            
,requirement ,notwithstanding any other 
provision of this ,act1 the land use and
 control measures adopted pursuant to   

paragraph 7#a7 may not1 for purposes of 
such paragraph1 be considered to be     
inadequate or inconsistent with the     
comprehensive criteria for land         
management and use under section #acfa  
because such measures provide that1 in  
the case of any residential structure   
that is located in a covered area and is
 substantially damaged by fire1 a       
variance in accordance with subparagraph
 7,c7 may be granted1 and the           
,administrator may not suspend a        
community from participation in the     
national flood insurance program1 or    
place such a community on probation     
under such program1 because such land   
use and control measures provide for    
such a variance4  7,b7 ,covered area    
,for purposes of subparagraph 7,a71 the 
term covered area means an area that--  
7i7 has special flood hazards2  7ii7    
will be protected by a levee system that
 will meet the requirements of section  
#fe4aj of the ,administrator's          
regulations 7#dd ,c4,f4,r4 #fe4aj7 and  

toward the repair1 replacement1 or      
construction of which adequate progress1
 acceptable to the ,administrator1 has  
been made2 and  7iii7 absent the        
protection provided by such levee1 is   
subject to significant base flood       
elevations of not less than a reasonable
 height1 as determined by the           
,administrator4  7,c7 ,variance2        
considerations ,a variance in accordance
 with this subparagraph is a variance1  
granted by an appropriate official of   
the community1 from compliance with such
 land use and control measures that     
allows for the repair and restoration of
 such structure to its predamaged       
condition without elevation of the      
structure1 but only after a             
determination by such appropriate       
official that--  7i7 the repaired and   
restored structure is located on the    
original location of the structure prior
 to such fire damage and the footprint  
of such repaired and restored structure 
does not exceed the footprint of the    

original structure2  7ii7 the elevation 
of the repaired and restored structure  
is consistent with existing construction
 in the neighborhood2  7iii7 no claims  
payments have been made under flood     
insurance coverage under this title for 
losses to such structure2  7iv7 the     
owner of the structure for which the    
variance is granted has owned the       
structure continually from before the   
time of the fire damage referred to in  
subparagraph 7,a72 and  7v7 the repair  
and restoration of the structure is for 
the purpose of continued occupancy by   
such owner4  4  #c4 ,premium rates      
,section #acjh of the ,national ,flood  
,insurance ,act of #aifh 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 
#djae7 is amended by adding at the end  
the following new subsection3  7j7      
,premium rates for structures with      
certain variances ,notwithstanding any  
other provision of this ,act1 the       
chargeable premium rate for coverage    
under this title for any residential    
structure provided a variance pursuant  

to section #acae7;a77#c7 shall1 after   
repair and restoration of the structure 
pursuant to such variance1 be the rate  
that otherwise would apply to such      
structure if the structure had not been 
substantially damaged and repaired and  
restored pursuant to such variance4  4