Art. 8280-13. FLOOD INSURANCE; PARTICIPATION IN FEDERAL PROGRAM BY POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS.

Section 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the "Flood Control and Insurance Act."

Sec. 2. PURPOSE. The State of Texas recognizes the personal hardships and economic distress caused by flood disasters since it has become uneconomic for the private insurance industry alone to make flood insurance available to those in need of such protection on reasonable terms and conditions. Recognizing the burden of the nation's resources, Congress enacted the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, Title 42, United States Code, Section 4001-4127, whereby flood insurance can be made available through coordinated efforts of the Federal Government and the private insurance industry, by pooling risks, and the positive cooperation of state and local government. The purpose of this Act is to evidence a positive interest in securing flood insurance coverage under this Federal program, and to so procure for those citizens of Texas desiring to participate; and the promoting of public interest by providing appropriate protection against the perils of flood losses and encouraging sound land use by minimizing exposure of property to flood losses.

Sec. 3. DEFINITIONS. For the purpose of this Act the term:

(a) "Board" means the Texas Water Development Board.

(b) "Political Subdivision" means any political subdivision or body politic and corporate of the State of Texas, and includes any county, river authority, conservation and reclamation district, water control and improvement district, water improvement district, water control and preservation district, fresh water supply district, irrigation district, and any type of district heretofore or hereafter created or organized or authorized to be created or organized pursuant to the provisions of Article XVI, Section 59 or Article III, Section 52 of the Constitution of the State of Texas; "political subdivision" also means any interstate compact commission to which the State of Texas is a party, municipal corporation or city whether operating under the Home Rule Amendment of the Constitution or under the General Law.

(c) "National Flood Insurance Act" means the United States Congressional Enactment, Title 42, United States Code, Sections 4001-4127, and the implementation and administration of the Act by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

(d) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Sec. 4. COOPERATION OF TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. In recognition of the necessity for a coordinated effort at all levels of government, the Texas Water Development Board shall cooperate with the Federal Insurance Administrator of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in the planning and carrying out of state participation in the National Flood Insurance Program; provided, however, that the responsibility for qualifying for the National Flood Insurance Program shall belong to any interested political subdivision, whether presently in existence or created in the future.

Sec. 5. POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS; COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. All political subdivisions are hereby authorized to take all necessary and reasonable actions to comply with the requirements and criteria of the National Flood Insurance Program including but not limited to:

(1) Making appropriate land use adjustments to constrict the development of land which is exposed to flood damage and minimize damage caused by flood losses;

(2) Guiding the development of proposed future construction, where practicable, away from location which is threatened by flood hazards;

(3) Assisting in minimizing damage caused by floods;

(4) Authorizing and engaging in continuing studies of flood hazards in order to facilitate a constant reappraisal of the flood insurance program and its effect on land use requirements;

(5) Engaging in flood plan management and adopting enforcing permanent land use and control measures consistent with the criteria established under the National Flood Insurance Act;

(6) Declaring property, when such is the case, to be in violation of local laws, regulations or ordinances which are intended to discourage or otherwise restrict land development or occupancy in flood-prone areas, and notifying the Secretary, or whomever he designates, of such property;

(7) Consulting with, giving information to and entering into agreements with the Department of Housing and Urban Development for the purpose of

(a) Identifying and publishing information with respect to all flood areas, including coastal areas, and

(b) Establishing flood-risk zones in all such areas, and make estimates with respect to the rates of probable flood-caused loss for the various flood-risk zones for each of these areas;

(8) Cooperating with the Secretary's studies and investigations with respect to the adequacy of local measures in flood-prone areas as to land management and use, flood control, flood zoning, and flood damage prevention;

(9) Taking steps to improve the long-range management and use of flood-prone areas;

(10) Purchasing, leasing and receiving property from the Secretary, when such property is owned by the Federal Government and lies within the boundaries of the political subdivision, pursuant to agreements with the Department of Housing and Urban Development or other appropriate legal representative of the United States Government;

(11) Requesting aid pursuant to the entire authorization above from the Texas Water Development Board;

(12) Satisfying criteria adopted and promulgated by the Department pursuant to the National Flood Insurance Program; and

(13) Adopting permanent land use and control measures with enforcement provisions which are consistent with the criteria for land management and use adopted by the Secretary.

Sec. 6. COORDINATION OF LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS BY TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD. (a) The Texas Water Development Board shall aid, advise and coordinate the efforts of present and future political subdivisions endeavoring to qualify for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.

(b) Pursuant to the National Flood Insurance Program and state and local efforts complimenting such Program, the Board shall aid, advise and co-operate with political subdivisions, the State Board of Insurance, and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development when such aid, advice and cooperation are requested or deemed advisable by the Board.

(c) The aforementioned aid may include but is not necessarily limited to:

(1) Coordinating local, state and federal programs relating to floods, flood losses, and flood plain management;

(2) Evaluating the present structure of all federal, state, and political subdivision flood control programs, within or adjacent to the state, including an assessment of the extent to which public and private flood plain management activities have been instituted;

(3) Carrying out studies with respect to the adequacy of present public and private measures, laws, regulations, and ordinances in flood-prone areas as to land management and use, flood control, flood zoning, and flood damage prevention;

(4) Evaluating all available engineering, hydrologic and geologic data relevant to flood-prone areas and flood control in those areas; and

(5) Carrying out flood plain studies and mapping programs of flood plains, flood-prone areas and flood-risk zones.

(d) On the basis of such studies and evaluations, the Board, to the extent of its capabilities, shall periodically identify and publish information and maps with respect to all flood plain areas including the states' coastal area, which have flood hazards, and where possible, aid the Federal Government in identifying and establishing flood-risk zones in all such areas.

Sec. 7. COOPERATION OF STATE BOARD OF INSURANCE. Pursuant to the National Flood Insurance Program, the State Board of Insurance shall aid, advise and cooperate with political subdivisions, the Texas Water Development Board and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development when such aid, advice and cooperation are requested or deemed advisable by the State Board of Insurance.

Sec. 8. RULES AND REGULATIONS. Political subdivisions which qualify for the National Flood Insurance Program, the State Board of Insurance, and the Texas Water Development Board may adopt and promulgate reasonable rules and regulations which are necessary for the orderly effectuation of the respective authorizations herein.

Sec. 9. Repealed by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 58, ch. 4, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1977.

Acts 1969, 61st Leg., p. 2313, ch. 782, eff. Sept. 1, 1969. Sec. 9 amended by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 58, ch. 4, Sec. 1, eff. July 22, 1977; amended by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 58, ch. 4, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1, 1977.