33 U.S.C. § 467f–2 — Rehabilitation of high hazard potential dams

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(a)Establishment of programThe Administrator shall establish, within FEMA, a program to provide technical, planning, design, and construction assistance in the form of grants to States with dam safety programs for rehabilitation of eligible high hazard potential dams.
(b)Eligible activitiesA grant awarded under this section to a State may be used by the State to award grants to eligible subrecipients for—
1. (1)repair;
2. (2)removal; or
3. (3)any other structural or nonstructural measures to rehabilitate an eligible high hazard potential dam.
(c)Award of grants
1. (1)Application
  1. (A)In generalA State interested in receiving a grant under this section may submit to the Administrator an application for the grant.
  2. (B)RequirementsAn application submitted to the Administrator under this section shall be submitted at such time, be in such form, and contain such information as the Administrator may prescribe by regulation.
2. (2)Grant
  1. (A)In generalThe Administrator may make a grant in accordance with this section for rehabilitation of eligible high hazard potential dams to a State that submits an application for the grant in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the Administrator.
  2. (B)Grant agreementThe Administrator shall enter into a grant agreement with the State to establish the terms of the grant and the projects for which the grant is awarded, including the amount of the grant.
  3. (C)Grant assuranceAs part of a grant agreement under subparagraph (B), the Administrator shall require that each eligible subrecipient to which the State awards a grant under this section provides an assurance from the dam owner, with respect to the dam to be rehabilitated, that the dam owner will carry out a plan for maintenance of the dam during the expected life of the dam.
  4. (D)LimitationA State may not award a grant to an eligible subrecipient under this section that exceeds, for any 1 dam, the lesser of—
    1. (i)12.5 percent of the total amount of funds made available to carry out this section; or
    2. (ii)$7,500,000.
(d)Requirements
1. (1)ApprovalA grant awarded under this section to an eligible subrecipient for a project shall be approved by the relevant State dam safety agency.
2. (2)Eligible subrecipient requirementsTo receive a grant under this section, an eligible subrecipient shall, with respect to the dam to be rehabilitated by the eligible subrecipient—
  1. (A)demonstrate that the community in which the dam is located participates in, and complies with, all applicable Federal flood insurance programs, including demonstrating that such community is participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, and is not on probation, suspended, or withdrawn from such Program;
  2. (B)beginning not later than 2 years after the date on which the Administrator publishes criteria for hazard mitigation plans under paragraph (3), demonstrate that the Tribal or local government with jurisdiction over the area in which the dam is located has in place a hazard mitigation plan that—
    1. (i)includes all dam risks; and
    2. (ii)complies with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106–390; 114 Stat. 1552);
  3. (C)for a project not including removal, obtain a commitment from the dam owner to provide operation and maintenance of the project for the expected life of the dam following completion of rehabilitation;
  4. (D)comply with such minimum eligibility requirements as the Administrator may establish to ensure that each owner and operator of a dam under a participating State dam safety program and that receives assistance under this section—
    1. (i)acts in accordance with the State dam safety program; and
    2. (ii)carries out activities relating to the public in the area around the dam in accordance with the hazard mitigation plan described in subparagraph (B); and
  5. (E)comply with section 5196(j)(9) of title 42 (as in effect on December 16, 2016) with respect to projects receiving assistance under this section in the same manner as recipients are required to comply in order to receive financial contributions from the Administrator for emergency preparedness purposes.
3. (3)Hazard mitigation plan criteriaNot later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, the Administrator, in consultation with the Board, shall publish criteria for hazard mitigation plans required under paragraph (2)(B).
(e)Floodplain management plans
1. (1)In generalAs a condition of receipt of assistance under this section, an eligible subrecipient shall demonstrate that a floodplain management plan to reduce the impacts of future flood events from a controlled or uncontrolled release from the dam or management of water levels in the area impacted by the dam—
  1. (A)for a removal—
    1. (i)is in place; and
    2. (ii)identifies areas that would be impacted by the removal of the dam and includes a communication and outreach plan for the project and the impact of the project on the affected communities; or
  2. (B)for a project not including removal—
    1. (i)is in place; or
    2. (ii)will be—
      1. (I)developed not later than 2 years after the date of execution of a project agreement for assistance under this section; and
      2. (II)implemented not later than 2 years after the date of completion of construction of the project.
2. (2)RequirementIn the case of a plan for a removal, the Administrator may not impose any additional requirements or conditions other than the requirements in paragraph (1)(A).
3. (3)InclusionsA plan under paragraph (1)(B) shall address—
  1. (A)potential measures, practices, and policies to reduce loss of life, injuries, damage to property and facilities, public expenditures, and other adverse impacts of flooding in the area protected or impacted by the dam;
  2. (B)plans for flood fighting and evacuation; and
  3. (C)public education and awareness of flood risks.
4. (4)Plan criteria and technical supportThe Administrator, in consultation with the Board, shall provide criteria, and may provide technical support, for the development and implementation of floodplain management plans prepared under this subsection.
(f)Priority systemThe Administrator, in consultation with the Board, shall develop a risk-based priority system for use in identifying eligible high hazard potential dams for which grants may be made under this section.
(g)Funding
1. (1)Cost sharing
  1. (A)In generalExcept as provided in subparagraph (C), any assistance provided under this section for a project shall be subject to a non-Federal cost-sharing requirement of not less than 35 percent.
  2. (B)In-kind contributionsThe non-Federal share under subparagraph (A) may be provided in the form of in-kind contributions.
  3. (C)Underserved communitiesSubparagraph (A) shall not apply to a project carried out by or for the benefit of an underserved community.
2. (2)Allocation of fundsThe total amount of funds made available to carry out this section for each fiscal year shall be distributed as follows:
  1. (A)Equal distribution⅓ shall be distributed equally among the States in which the projects for which applications are submitted under subsection (c)(1) are located.
  2. (B)Need-based⅔ shall be distributed among the States in which the projects for which applications are submitted under subsection (c)(1) are located based on the proportion that—
    1. (i)the number of eligible high hazard potential dams in the State; bears to
    2. (ii)the number of eligible high hazard potential dams in all such States.
(h)Use of fundsNone of the funds provided in the form of a grant or otherwise made available under this section shall be used—
1. (1)to rehabilitate a Federal dam;
2. (2)to perform routine operation or maintenance of a dam;
3. (3)to modify a dam to produce hydroelectric power;
4. (4)to increase water supply storage capacity; or
5. (5)to make any other modification to a dam that does not also improve the safety of the dam.
(i)Contractual requirements
1. (1)In generalSubject to paragraph (2), as a condition on the receipt of a grant under this section of an amount greater than $1,000,000, an eligible subrecipient that receives the grant shall require that each contract and subcontract for program management, construction management, planning studies, feasibility studies, architectural services, preliminary engineering, design, engineering, surveying, mapping, and related services entered into using funds from the grant be awarded in the same manner as a contract for architectural and engineering services is awarded under—
  1. (A)chapter 11 of title 40; or
  2. (B)an equivalent qualifications-based requirement prescribed by the relevant State.
2. (2)No proprietary interestA contract awarded in accordance with paragraph (1) shall not be considered to confer a proprietary interest upon the United States.
(j)Authorization of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section—
1. (1)$10,000,000 for fiscal years 2017 and 2018;
2. (2)$25,000,000 for fiscal year 2019;
3. (3)$40,000,000 for fiscal year 2020; and
4. (4)$60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2026.