H. R. 1858

Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act

Shown here: Introduced in House (2025-03-05)

To amend the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 with respect to the emergency watershed program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the “Flooding Prevention, Assessment, and Restoration Act”.

2. Emergency watershed program

Section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(c) Level of restoration
In carrying out this section, the Secretary may undertake measures that increase the level of protection above that which would be necessary to address the immediate impairment of the watershed if the Secretary determines that such restoration is—
(1) in the best interest of the long-term health and the protection of the watershed from repetitive impairments; and
(2) cost-effective and appropriate, given risks to the environment.

3. National agriculture flood vulnerability study

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a national agriculture flood vulnerability report containing the results of a conservation effects assessment project studying flood risk on agricultural lands, including—

(1) an analysis of economic losses of crops and livestock resulting from flooding under different recurrence scenarios;

(2) an analysis of the downstream effects of mitigation activities carried out as part of a watershed management approach;

(3) an analysis of available Federal and State data relating to flood risk, as applicable to agricultural land, including data relating to riverine flooding, coastal flooding, storm surge, extreme precipitation, and flash flooding; and

(4) a description of ongoing producer-level conservation practices and broader government initiatives to manage flooding impact and flood risk within and across watersheds, and recommendations for additional practices and initiatives to further address such impact and risk.

4. Rehabilitation of structural measures near, at, or past their evaluated life expectancy

The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act is amended—

(1) in section 2 (16 U.S.C. 1002), by striking “respectively.” and all that follows through “must contain” and inserting “respectively. Each project, other than a rehabilitation project under section 14, must contain”; and

(2) in section 14(b)(2) (16 U.S.C. 1012(b)(2)), by striking “65 percent” and inserting “90 percent”.

2. Emergency watershed program

Section 403 of the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2203) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(c) Level of restoration

In carrying out this section, the Secretary may undertake measures that increase the level of protection above that which would be necessary to address the immediate impairment of the watershed if the Secretary determines that such restoration is—

(1) in the best interest of the long-term health and the protection of the watershed from repetitive impairments; and