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HR 5521 113th Congress House

Urban Flooding Awareness Act of 2014

Official title: To direct the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to enter into an agreement with the National Research Council to conduct a study on urban flooding, and for other purposes.

Introduced: September 17, 2014 Introduced by: Quigley, Mike Democratic · Illinois See on congress.gov
Emergency Management Advanced technology and technological innovationsClimate change and greenhouse gasesCongressional oversightEnvironmental technology
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Floods and storm protectionGovernment studies and investigationsHydrology and hydrographyPublic-private cooperationState and local financeUrban and suburban affairs and development
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This bill died when the 113th Congress ended
It never became law before the 113th Congress (2013–2014) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Sep 18, 2014
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
Sep 17, 2014
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sep 17, 2014
Introduced in House
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 Latest action September 18, 2014

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Urban Flooding Awareness Act of 2014 - Directs the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to enter into an agreement with the National Research Council to conduct a study on urban flooding.

Defines "urban flooding" as the inundation of property in a built environment, particularly in more densely populated areas, caused by rain falling on increased amounts of impervious surface and overwhelming the capacity of drainage systems.

Directs the Council to evaluate the latest research, laws, regulations, policies, best practices, procedures, and institutional knowledge regarding urban flooding. Requires the Council's study to include an examination of:

  • the prevalence of and costs associated with urban flooding events across the United States, with a focus on the largest metropolitan areas and trends in frequency and severity over the past two decades;
  • the adequacy of federally provided flood risk information and the most cost-effective methods and products to characterize the risk of property damage from urban flooding on a property-by-property basis;
  • the potential for training and certifying local experts in flood risk characterization as a service to property purchasers and owners;
  • the causes of urban flooding and its apparent increase over the past 20 years;
  • the most cost-effective strategies, practices, and technologies used to reduce the impacts of urban flooding;
  • the role of the federal government and state governments in spurring market innovations based on public-private-nonprofit partnerships;
  • the most sustainable and effective methods for funding flood risk and flood damage reduction at all levels of government;
  • the relevance of the National Flood Insurance Program and Community Rating System to urban flooding areas outside traditional flood plains and strategies for broadening coverage and increasing participation under the Program; and
  • strategies for protecting downstream communities from the flooding impacts of development in upstream communities.
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 5521: Urban Flooding Awareness Act of 2014. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-5521/
MLA
"H.R. 5521: Urban Flooding Awareness Act of 2014." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-5521/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 5521, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-5521/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 5521: Urban Flooding Awareness Act of 2014](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-5521/)
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