PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The Secretary must send a public report to Congress within 1 year after December 16, 2016 and every two years after that. The report must describe the condition of U.S. levees and how well the levee safety work is going. It must cover progress made, State, regional, and tribal involvement, ideas to better coordinate levee safety with floodplain management and environmental protection (including ways to coordinate safety, management, and environmental permits for levee upkeep), and any suggested laws or congressional actions. Each report must also include the committee’s own independent recommendations. By not later than 3 years after June 10, 2014, the Secretary and the Administrator must send a public report on whether and how to create a joint national dam and levee safety program. Not later than 2 years after December 16, 2016, the Comptroller General must report on how federal programs can be aligned to give incentives that promote shared responsibility, stronger State/regional/tribal programs, better fit with flood risk programs, and more levee safety through federal aid. Within 1 year after December 16, 2016, the Secretary must report on legal liability issues that block owners from getting levee engineering services or stop the creation or use of levee safety programs, and offer recommendations.

Title 33, §3303b

Navigation and Navigable Waters, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)State of levees

(1)In general

Not later than 1 year after December 16, 2016, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary in coordination with the committee, shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report describing the state of levees in the United States and the effectiveness of the levee safety initiative, including—

(A)progress achieved in implementing the levee safety initiative;

(B)State, regional, and tribal participation in the levee safety initiative;

(C)recommendations to improve coordination of levee safety, floodplain management, and environmental protection concerns, including—

(i)identifying and evaluating opportunities to coordinate public safety, floodplain management, and environmental protection activities relating to levees; and

(ii)evaluating opportunities to coordinate environmental permitting processes for operation and maintenance activities at existing levee projects in compliance with all applicable laws; and

(D)any recommendations for legislation and other congressional actions necessary to ensure national levee safety.

(2)Inclusion

Each report under paragraph (1) shall include a report of the committee that describes the independent recommendations of the committee for the implementation of the levee safety initiative.

(b)National dam and levee safety program

Not later than 3 years after June 10, 2014, to the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary and the Administrator, in coordination with the committee, shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report that includes recommendations regarding the advisability and feasibility of, and potential approaches for, establishing a joint national dam and levee safety program.

(c)Alignment of Federal programs relating to levees

Not later than 2 years after December 16, 2016, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on opportunities for alignment of Federal programs to provide incentives to State, regional, tribal, and local governments and individuals and entities—

(1)to promote shared responsibility for levee safety;

(2)to encourage the development of strong State, regional, and tribal levee safety programs;

(3)to better align the levee safety initiative with other Federal flood risk management programs; and

(4)to promote increased levee safety through other Federal programs providing assistance to State, regional, tribal, and local governments.

(d)Liability for certain levee engineering projects

Not later than 1 year after December 16, 2016, the Secretary shall submit to Congress and make publicly available a report that includes recommendations that identify and address any legal liability associated with levee engineering projects that prevent—

(1)levee owners from obtaining needed levee engineering services; or

(2)development and implementation of a State, regional, or tribal levee safety program.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 9006 of Pub. L. 110–114 was renumbered section 9008, and is classified to section 3305 of this title.

Amendments

2016—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 114–322, § 1130(d)(1)(A), substituted “1 year after

December 16, 2016” for “1 year after

June 10, 2014” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 114–322, § 1130(d)(1)(B), substituted “State, regional, and tribal” for “State and tribal”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 114–322, § 1130(d)(2)(A), in introductory provisions, substituted “2 years after

December 16, 2016” for “2 years after

June 10, 2014” and “State, regional, tribal, and local” for “State, tribal, and local”. Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 114–322, § 1130(d)(2)(B), substituted “State, regional, and tribal” for “State and tribal”. Subsec. (c)(4). Pub. L. 114–322, § 1130(d)(2)(C), substituted “State, regional, tribal, and local” for “State and local”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 114–322, § 1130(d)(3)(A), substituted “1 year after

December 16, 2016” for “1 year after

June 10, 2014” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 114–322, § 1130(d)(3)(B), substituted “State, regional, or tribal” for “State or tribal”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

“Secretary” Defined Secretary means the Secretary of the Army, see section 2 of Pub. L. 110–114, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.

§3303b Reports