# 119-hr-6256: Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act

119-hr-6256, Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Downing, Troy [R-MT-2] (R-MT); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6256
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-6256
- Congress: 119
- Title: Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-11-21
- Sponsor: Rep. Downing, Troy [R-MT-2] (R-MT)
- Cosponsors: 8
- Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Make it easier to carry out ecosystem restoration projects in floodplains.** This bill would add a new ecosystem restoration framework to the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 and change how FEMA and communities handle flood insurance map changes and regulatory floodway approvals for those projects. - Communities and local governments could allow restoration projects inside regulatory floodways that increase base flood elevations if a professional engineer finds the cumulative effect is no more than **1 foot** (or a different metric set by the FEMA Administrator) and no insurable structure or critical infrastructure would be harmed. The community must submit an analysis of changed conditions within **180 days** after project completion. - Property owners and project sponsors would not have to pay review or processing fees for requests to change a flood insurance rate map based on an ecosystem restoration project. This removes a cost barrier to seeking FIRM updates tied to restoration work. - FEMA and covered federal and state natural resource agencies would get a formal definition of “ecosystem restoration project” and the FEMA Administrator would be required to issue guidance implementing the new rules within **180 days** after enactment following agency consultation.

## Cosponsors (8)

- Rep. Bynum, Janelle S. [D-OR-5] (D-OR), 2025-11-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Steil, Bryan [R-WI-1] (R-WI), 2025-11-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3] (D-WA), 2025-11-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Grothman, Glenn [R-WI-6] (R-WI), 2026-02-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vasquez, Gabe [D-NM-2] (D-NM), 2026-03-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wied, Tony [R-WI-8] (R-WI), 2026-03-16T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3] (R-WI), 2026-04-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (D-WA), 2026-04-16T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- No fees for flood map changes: benefit, low. If passed, requests to change a flood insurance rate map tied to an ecosystem restoration project would have no review or processing fee. This could help property owners, project sponsors, and local governments save money on filings. The waiver would apply only to requests based on qualifying resto…
- FEMA guidance on restoration projects: benefit, low. FEMA would have to issue guidance within 180 days after enactment on how to carry out these rules. FEMA would consult federal and state natural resource agencies first. The bill would also define what counts as an ecosystem restoration project, focusing on recovering or improving natural floodplain…
- Some floodway restoration may raise water levels: mixed, medium. The bill would let communities permit certain ecosystem restoration projects in a regulatory floodway even if water rises. A licensed engineer would need to find the project plus other development would not raise the base flood level by more than 1 foot, unless FEMA allows a different metric. No in…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act
- 119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
- 119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025
- 119-hr-9250: Great American Outdoors Act 250
- 119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-6256 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6256)

## Related
- [119-hr-4382: America’s Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coins Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4382)
- [119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6644)
- [119-hr-1628: 761st Tank Battalion Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1628)
- [119-hr-1422: Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1422)
- [119-hr-9250: Great American Outdoors Act 250](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9250)
- [119-hr-2102: Major Richard Star Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2102)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6256 (as of 2026-09-21).