Federal Flood Risk Management Act of 2026

Key Points

• The bill establishes a national standard for how federal agencies must assess and manage flood risk when building or funding projects. Agencies must use climate science and future flood projections, not just historical data, to decide where it is safe to build.
• For most federally funded buildings, the floor must be built at least 2 feet above the expected flood level. For critical facilities like hospitals or emergency centers, the requirement jumps to 3 feet above the base flood elevation.
• Agencies must first consider natural solutions like wetlands and ecosystem-based approaches before turning to engineered flood protection. They must also publicly explain why they chose to build in a flood zone and notify state, local, and Tribal governments.
• Federal agencies involved in loans, insurance, or other financial transactions for property in flood-prone areas must warn private parties about flood hazards before completing the deal.
• The bill includes exceptions for emergencies and national security. Projects needed to save lives or protect national security can skip the elevated building standards, though emergency exemptions must be published in the Federal Register with supporting facts.
• The Water Resources Council must update the flood risk standard at least every 5 years, and a leadership group must reassess implementation annually using the latest climate and flood risk science.