,,ii #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #cgd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #c1 #bjbe,mr4 ,lankford introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to establish a pilot program for property acquisition projects1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,direct ,property ,acquisitions ,act4 #b4 ,pilot program for property acquisitions 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,administrator ,the term ,administrator means the ,administrator of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency4 7#b7 ,appropriate congressional committees ,the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,transportation and ,infrastructure of the ,house of ,representatives4 7#c7 ,covered community ,the term covered community means a local government determined by the ,administrator to be able to meet relevant ,federal and ,state statutory and regulatory requirements for hazard mitigation assistance-- 7,a7 with limited assistance from the ,state in which the local government is located2 and 7,b7 for which the ,administrator received positive feedback from the ,state in which the local government is located relating to eligibility for the pilot program4 7#d7 ,local government2 ,state ,the terms local government and ,state have the meanings given those terms in section #ajb of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eabb74 7#e7 ,pilot program ,the term pilot program means the pilot program established under subsection 7b74 7b7 ,establishment ,the ,administrator shall carry out a pilot program under which covered communities may directly apply to the ,administrator for hazard mitigation assistance for the purposes of property acquisition and structure demolition or relocation assistance under section #djd7;b7 of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj;c7b774 7c7 ,selection 7#a7 ,considerations ,in determining whether a local government is a covered community for purposes of the pilot program1 the ,administrator shall-- 7,a7 consult with the ,state in which the local government is located before determining the suitability of the local government for the pilot program2 and 7,b7 provide a written justification to the local government and the ,state in which the local government is located for selecting or not selecting the local government for the pilot program1 which shall be based on-- 7i7 the prior performance and current processes of the local government relating to property acquisitions and other hazard mitigation projects2 7ii7 the level of need in the local government in conducting or completing future or ongoing property acquisition and structure demolition or relocation assistance projects2 7iii7 the risks posed to the local government by inclement weather2 and 7iv7 such other matters as the ,administrator determines relevant4 7#b7 ,criteria 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,administrator shall select not more than #b local governments from each ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency region to participate in the pilot program4 7,b7 ,limitation ,not more than #a local government shall be selected from a ,state within a ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency region4 7,c7 ,federal ,register notice ,not later than #a year after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,administrator shall publish in the ,federal ,register a notice detailing the requirements for local governments seeking to participate in the pilot program4 7#c7 ,length of participation ,a covered community may not participate in the pilot program for a period of more than #dh months4 7d7 ,annual report ,the ,administrator shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an annual report on the effectiveness of the pilot program1 which shall include-- 7#a7 a summary of the relevant characteristics of covered communities selected for the pilot program1 including relevant demographic information1 the number of properties in the covered community participating in the ,national ,flood ,insurance ,program1 and whether each covered community was frequently impacted by other1 non-flooding-related major disasters2 7#b7 a determination of whether the pilot program significantly expedited the property acquisition process of the ,federal ,emergency ,management ,agency in covered communities that participated in the pilot program2 7#c7 an evaluation of the problems1 or potential problems1 caused or likely to be caused by permanently allowing covered communities to directly apply for hazard mitigation assistance for the purposes of property acquisition and structure demolition or relocation assistance under section #djd7;b7 of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eagj;c7b771 which shall be informed by-- 7,a7 feedback from covered communities participating in the pilot program2 7,b7 the ,states in which the covered communities participating in the pilot program are located2 and 7,c7 such other factors as the ,administrator determines relevant2 and 7#d7 an evaluation of whether the pilot program should be made permanent1 ended1 or extended for a certain period of time4 7e7 ,termination ,the pilot program shall terminate not later than #h years after the date on which the ,administrator selects the covered communities for participation in the pilot program under subsection 7c77#b74 7f7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out the pilot program4