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119-s-4248119th CongressWALLET

Enhancing Long-Term, Efficient, and Viable Alternatives to Empower Flood-Prone Communities Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]

Introduced

Summary

Elevating nonstructural flood-risk measures is the bill's core aim. It would require the Army Corps of Engineers to give buyouts, relocations, and structure elevation equal consideration with traditional built projects while improving planning, transparency, and delivery.

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  • Families and homeowners would see acquisition, relocation, demolition, and elevation options remain voluntary. The federal share could cover moving expenses, temporary housing support, and supplemental payments for low-income owner-occupants when replacement housing costs exceed appraised value.
  • Economically disadvantaged communities and repeat-loss areas would get bigger federal subsidies. The bill would raise federal cost shares to about 90% for disadvantaged and many repetitive-loss cases and up to 100% for the most severe repetitive-loss properties.
  • Local governments and project partners would face faster timelines and more federal coordination. Paused studies that include nonstructural features would have to resume within 45 days unless narrow exceptions apply, and the bill creates a national committee, a working group, a Corps center of expertise, and annual reporting to guide implementation.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Help paying house elevation costs

If enacted, projects that elevate homes would be able to cover many related costs. Eligible costs would include meeting seismic and wind design loads, required utility repairs, asbestos and lead abatement, raising porches or decks, building new stairs or compliant floor systems, and reasonable temporary housing while work happens. The Corps would accept common documents as proof of ownership and would set target elevations at least equal to local ordinances and consider higher ASCE 24 standards.

Help with moving and buyouts

If enacted, the Corps would treat moving costs, temporary housing, and relocation advisory services as eligible project costs when a nonstructural project requires buyouts or relocation. The Secretary would be allowed to pay a supplemental amount above appraised value for a low‑income owner‑occupant when a comparable replacement home in a nonhazard area costs more than the appraisal. The bill would also require that acquisition or relocation be voluntary for owner‑occupants and not forced.

Faster project resumption and oversight

If enacted, the Corps would have to give written status updates and generally could not pause or stop studies or projects with nonstructural features except for listed reasons. District Engineers would send initial notices within 45 days and then every 45 days. Paused projects since January 20, 2025 would have to resume within 45 days of enactment unless an exception applies. The bill would also require a Corps nonstructural center of expertise and a federal‑nonfederal working group within 90 days, regular reports starting in one year, and allow phased project rollout and separate partnership agreements. The Corps could not end the National Nonstructural Committee unless Congress allows it.

More federal pay for flood projects

If enacted, the bill would set new federal cost shares for nonstructural flood measures. The federal share would be 100% for severe repetitive loss structures, 90% for economically disadvantaged communities or repetitive loss structures, and 75% for other nonstructural measures. These shares would apply to projects authorized after enactment and to earlier projects if the non‑Federal partner asks to use them.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]

RI • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC]

    NC • R

    Sponsored 3/26/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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