,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #edgf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #ah1       
#bjai,mrs4 ,axne 7for herself and ,mr4  
,bacon7 introduced the following bill2  
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,transportation and ,infrastructure  ,a 
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of the
 ,army to carry out a program to convert
 temporary structures at risk of flood  
events into permanent features1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,local         
,expertise is ,vital for ,effective     
,embankments ,act or the ,,levee ,act4  
#b4 ,establishing permanent features    
from emergency response measures  7a7   
,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7    
,impacted community ,the term impacted  
community means an entity that has      
received emergency flood fighting       
assistance under section #e of the ,act 
of ,august #ah1 #aida 7commonly known as
 the ,flood ,control ,act of #aida7 7#ee
 ,stat4 #fej1 chapter #cgg2 #cc         

,u4,s4,c4 #gjan71 involving the         
construction of a temporary structure4  
7#b7 ,permanent feature ,the term       
permanent feature means a structural or 
nonstructural measure typical in a flood
 control project4  7#c7 ,small or       
disadvantaged community ,the term small 
or disadvantaged community means a      
community--  7,a7 with a population of  
less than #aj1jjj2 or  7,b7 that is--   
7i7 financially disadvantaged2 and  7ii7
 at risk from repeat flooding events4   
7b7 ,evaluation of temporary structures 
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 on request of an impacted          
community1 the ,secretary shall evaluate
 whether the temporary structure        
warrants consideration for a permanent  
feature1 in accordance with subsection  
7c74  7c7 ,considerations ,in evaluating
 a temporary structure under subsection 
7b71 the ,secretary shall consider--    
7#a7 the likelihood that a similar      
structure will need to be constructed in
 the area in the future if the temporary

 structure1 or a similar structure1 is  
not made permanent2  7#b7 the extent to 
which similar structures have been      
constructed in the area previously and  
removed2  7#c7 the economic1 safety1 and
 environmental benefits and impacts of  
establishing a permanent feature in the 
watershed of the impacted community2    
7#d7 the extent of the modifications    
necessary to make the temporary         
structure a permanent feature2 and  7#e7
 the costs of the modifications         
described in paragraph 7#d74  7d7       
,conversion of temporary structures     
7#a7 ,in general ,after the ,secretary  
completes an evaluation under subsection
 7b71 if the ,secretary determines that 
the temporary structure should become a 
permanent feature1 or that a permanent  
feature would prevent damage similar to 
damage prevented by the temporary       
structure1 and subject to paragraph     
7#b71 the ,secretary shall begin the    
planning and design of the permanent    
feature in accordance with all          

applicable design and construction      
standards and legal requirements of the 
,secretary1 including all applicable    
environmental laws4  7#b7 ,project cost 
7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary may    
carry out the planning1 design1 and     
construction of a project described in  
paragraph 7#a7 if the total construction
 cost of the project is not expected to 
exceed #be1jjj1jjj4  7,b7 ,large        
projects ,if the total construction cost
 of a project described in paragraph    
7#a7 is expected to be greater than     
#be1jjj1jjj1 the ,secretary--  7i7 shall
 submit to ,congress a request to carry 
out the project in a manner similar to a
 ,chief's ,report2 and  7ii7 may not    
carry out the project until ,congress   
authorizes the construction of the      
project4  7,c7 ,demolition ,demolition  
of a temporary structure under this     
section shall be subject to the         
cost-share requirement under paragraph  
7#c71 but the costs of that demolition  
shall not be included in the total      

construction cost of the project under  
subparagraphs 7,a7 and 7,b74  7#c7      
,cost-share  7,a7 ,in general ,the      
non-,federal share of the cost of       
carrying out a project under this       
section shall be not more than #ce      
percent4  7,b7 ,small or disadvantaged  
communities ,in the case of a project   
carried out under this section in an    
impacted community that is a small or   
disadvantaged community1 the ,federal   
share of the cost of such project may be
 up to #ajj percent1 based on the       
ability of the community to pay4