#aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4   
#aefd  ,,an ,,act  ,to amend the        
,homeowner ,flood ,insurance            
,affordability ,act of #bjad to address 
ecosystem restoration projects1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,floodplain    
,enhancement and ,recovery ,act4  #b4   
,ecosystem restoration projects  7a7 ,in
 general ,section #bb of the ,homeowner 
,flood ,insurance ,affordability ,act of
 #bjad 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #daja;e7 is       
amended to read as follows3  #bb4       
,ecosystem restoration projects  7a7    
,definition ,in this section1 the term  
ecosystem restoration project means a   
project proposed for the primary purpose
 of manipulating the physical1 chemical1
 or biological characteristics of a site
 with the goal of-- 7#a7 recovering     
natural and beneficial functions to a   
former or degraded aquatic resource or  
floodplain2 or  7#b7 enhancing1         
accelerating1 reclaiming1 or improving a
 specific1 natural1 and beneficial      

function of an aquatic resource or      
floodplain4  7b7 ,exemption from fees   
for flood hazard change requests for    
ecosystem restoration projects          
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 a requester shall be exempt from   
submitting a review or processing fee   
for a request for a flood insurance rate
 map change based on an ecosystem       
restoration project4  7c7 ,exemption    
from conditional approval for certain   
ecosystem restoration projects ,a       
community may permit an ecosystem       
restoration project within an adopted   
regulatory floodway that would result in
 an increase in base flood elevations1  
if-- 7#a7 a professional engineer uses  
the best judgment of the engineer to    
determine that the cumulative effect of 
the proposed ecosystem restoration      
project1 when combined with all other   
existing development1 will not increase 
the water surface elevation of the base 
flood by more than #a foot 7or a greater
 amount or metric determined appropriate

 by the ,administrator72  7#b7 no       
insurable structure or any critical     
infrastructure is located in an area    
that would be adversely impacted by the 
increased base flood elevation2 and     
7#c7 not later than #ahj days after the 
date on which the ecosystem restoration 
project is completed1 the community     
submits to the ,administrator an        
analysis regarding the changed          
conditions caused by the ecosystem      
restoration project4  7d7 ,rule of      
construction ,nothing in this section   
may be construed to affect the procedure
 7as in effect on the day before the    
date of enactment of the ,floodplain    
,enhancement and ,recovery ,act7 for    
providing notification to a landowner   
with respect to development in a        
regulatory floodway4  4  7b7 ,technical 
and conforming amendment ,the table of  
contents for the ,homeowner ,flood      
,insurance ,affordability ,act of #bjad 
7,public ,law #aac-hi7 is amended by    
striking the item relating to section   

#bb and inserting the following3  ,sec4 
#bb4 ,ecosystem restoration projects4  4
  7c7 ,guidance  7#a7 ,definitions ,in  
this subsection3 7,a7 ,administrator    
,the term ,administrator means the      
,administrator of the ,federal          
,emergency ,management ,agency4  7,b7   
,covered agencies ,the term covered     
agencies means ,federal and ,state      
natural resource agencies1 as determined
 by the ,administrator4  7#b7 ,issuance 
,not later than #ahj days after the date
 of enactment of this ,act1 and after   
consultation with the heads of covered  
agencies1 the ,administrator shall issue
 guidance to implement section #bb of   
the ,homeowner ,flood ,insurance        
,affordability ,act of #bjad 7#db       
,u4,s4,c4 #daja;e71 as amended by this  
section4  ,passed the ,senate ,september
 #cj1 #bjbf4,secretary