	Introduction

Recent flood disasters have raised congressional and public interest in not only reducing flood risks, but also improving flood resilience, which is the ability to adapt to, withstand, and rapidly recover from floods. Congress has established various federal programs that may be available to assist U.S. state, local, and territorial entities and tribes in reducing flood risks. Among the most significant current federal programs assisting communities with improvements to reduce their flood risks and improve their flood resilience are (1) programs that assist with infrastructure to reduce flood risks and other flood mitigation activities, and (2) programs of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) that provide incentives to reduce flood risks. In the United States, flood-related responsibilities are shared. States and local governments have significant discretion in land use and development decisions (e.g., building codes, subdivision ordinances), which can be factors in determining the vulnerability to and consequence of hurricanes, storms, extreme rainfall, and other flood events. Flood events, particularly Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and subsequent events, have generated concern about the nation's and the federal government's financial exposure to flood losses, as well as the economic, social, and public health impacts on individuals and communities. Federal Flood-Related Activities

			Flood Control

Although U.S. local, state, and territorial entities and tribes maintain significant flood management responsibilities, the federal role has expanded over the decades in response to catastrophic and regional flood events. Some flood control infrastructure owned by local and state entities also has received support from hazard mitigation assistance programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). For example, some programs are triggered only after certain declarations or actions; others are part of regular agency operations. Selected Federal Programs That Support Flood Resilience and Risk Reduction Improvements

		Federal Emergency Management Agency18

FEMA administers three mitigation grant programs that relate to flood resilience and risk reduction:
Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program; Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP); and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers22

USACE is the primary federal agency involved in construction projects to provide flood damage reduction; it conducts this work through both project-specific and programmatic authorities. Flood Maps and State and Local Land-Use Control

The NFIP accomplishes the goal of reducing comprehensive flood risk primarily by requiring participating communities to collaborate with FEMA to develop and adopt flood maps called Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and enact minimum floodplain standards based on those flood maps. The NFIP encourages communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations such as zoning codes, subdivision ordinances, building codes, and rebuilding restrictions. NFIP Flood Mitigation

The NFIP offers three programs that encourage communities to reduce flood risk: the Community Rating System, the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program, and Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage. Potential questions for the 115 th Congress and other policymakers include the following:
Do federal programs provide incentives or disincentives for U.S. states, local governments, territories, and tribes to prepare for flood and manage their flood risks? Are there changes to how federal flood-related assistance programs and the NFIP are implemented or funded that could result in long-term net benefits in avoided federal disaster assistance, lives lost, and economic disruption?
Recent flood disasters have raised congressional and public interest in not only reducing flood risks, but also improving flood resilience, which is the ability to adapt to, withstand, and rapidly recover from floods. In the United States, flood-related responsibilities are shared. States and local governments have significant discretion in land use and development decisions, which can be major factors in determining the vulnerability to and consequence of hurricanes, storms, extreme rainfall, and other flood events. Congress has established various federal programs that may be available to assist U.S. state, local, and territorial entities and tribes in reducing flood risks. Among the most significant federal activities to reduce communities' flood risks and improve flood resilience are
assistance with infrastructure projects (e.g., levees, shore protection) and other flood mitigation activities that save lives and reduce property damage; and mitigation incentives for communities that participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Assistance Programs
Each federal program that provides flood-related assistance has its own focus, statutory limitations, and way of operating. Some programs are triggered by certain declarations or actions and may be available only to areas or states subject to recent disasters. These programs include
the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is triggered by a Stafford Act disaster declaration; and Community Development Block Grant−Disaster Recovery (CDBG−DR) assistance administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which may be available if Congress provides supplemental appropriations.
Although subject to available appropriations, other federal assistance may be more broadly accessible when funded through annual appropriations or more targeted when also funded through supplemental appropriations. These assistance programs include
FEMA's Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant program and the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) flood risk reduction studies and construction projects; U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) acquisition of floodplain easements and grants for flood risk reduction projects; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grants for oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, and other coastal zone restoration and management-related opportunities; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) support for state-administered loan programs and direct credit assistance for stormwater management; and HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs.
Flood Insurance
In order for federal flood insurance to be available to homeowners and business owners in a community, the NFIP requires participating communities to develop and adopt flood maps and enact minimum floodplain standards based on those flood maps. The NFIP encourages communities to adopt and enforce floodplain management regulations such as zoning codes, building codes, subdivision ordinances, and rebuilding restrictions. The NFIP also encourages communities to reduce flood risk through three programs: the FMA, Community Rating System, and Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC) coverage.
Context for Federal Activities and Policy Considerations
Since the 1960s, the federal role in responding to catastrophic and regional flooding has expanded both through the NFIP and federal disaster response and recovery efforts. Hurricane Katrina and subsequent events have generated concern about the nation's and the federal government's financial exposure to flood losses and floods' economic, social, and public health impacts on individuals and communities. Members of Congress and other decisionmakers are faced with numerous policy questions, including whether federal programs provide incentives or disincentives for state and local entities to prepare for floods and manage their flood risks, and whether changes to how federal assistance programs and the NFIP are implemented and funded could result in long-term resilience benefits.