H.R. 10051, a Bill Proposing To Amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968

GAO reviewed H.R. 10051, which proposed to amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 by permitting communities which are participating in the flood insurance program to waive land use and management requirements with respect to any structure without losing their eligibility for participating in the program. GAO agreed with the objectives set forth in the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 and the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973. In addition, GAO believed that there may be certain situations where waivers of flood plain management requirements are necessary and justified. Because of the potential problems involved and because current procedures at the time contained adequate provisions for waivers of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) flood plain management requirements, however, GAO recommended that H.R. 10051 not be enacted.