Amendment ID: S3050-282

Amendment 282

Expanded Floodplain Maps

Ms. Edwards and Messrs. Driscoll and Eldridge move that the proposed new draft be amended SECTION 4. The Section 98 of chapter 143 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following after the first paragraph:

The board of selectmen in a town or the city council in a city may request the use of expanded floodplain maps, based on best available science and data, including forward-looking climate projections, and floodplain maps based on past, documented flood history, in addition to the federal emergency management agency flood insurance rate maps for the purposes of determining base flood elevation and mandating the applicability of flood-resistant construction standards as contained in the residential and commercial base building codes where flood hazard areas are referenced. The board of selectmen in a town or the city council in a city shall certify that the city or town has formally adopted the expanded floodplain maps for official use in the city or town by ordinance or bylaw. The expanded floodplain maps shall be made publicly accessible online. If the board finds, in consultation with the executive office of energy and environmental affairs, that the use of expanded floodplain maps is in the interest of public health and safety and in support of climate resilience and adaptation objectives, and with the general purposes of a statewide building code, the board shall, after notice to said board of selectmen or city council, and after a public hearing, adopt rules and regulations, and impose conditions in connection with the adoption thereof. If the board rejects the request, the board shall provide a written explanation of the rejection to the board of selectmen or the city council at which time the board of selectmen or city council may file an appeal within 30 days to the secretary of the executive office of housing and economic development who shall, in consultation with the secretary of the executive office of energy and environmental affairs, reconsider the request and respond to the appeal within 15 days.