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| Public Act 098-0858 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning safety.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Urban | ||||
Flooding Awareness Act. | ||||
Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act, "urban | ||||
flooding" means the inundation of property in a built | ||||
environment, particularly in more densely populated areas, | ||||
caused by rainfall overwhelming the capacity of drainage | ||||
systems, such as storm sewers. "Urban flooding" does not | ||||
include flooding in undeveloped or agricultural areas. "Urban | ||||
flooding" includes (i) situations in which stormwater enters | ||||
buildings through windows, doors, or other openings, (ii) water | ||||
backup through sewer pipes, showers, toilets, sinks, and floor | ||||
drains, (iii) seepage through walls and floors, and (iv) the | ||||
accumulation of water on property or public rights-of-way. | ||||
Section 10. Urban Flooding Study. By June 30, 2015, the | ||||
Department of Natural Resources, in consultation with the | ||||
Illinois Emergency Management Agency, the Illinois | ||||
Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Housing | ||||
Development Authority, the Department of Commerce and Economic | ||||
Development, the Department of Insurance, the Federal | ||||
Emergency Management Agency, the Metropolitan Water | ||
Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, the Illinois State | ||
Water Survey of the University of Illinois, and other State, | ||
regional, and local storm water management agencies, thought | ||
leaders, and interested parties as the Director of Natural | ||
Resources deems appropriate, shall submit to the General | ||
Assembly and the Governor a report that reviews and evaluates | ||
the latest available information, research, laws, regulations, | ||
policies, procedures, and institutional knowledge, with | ||
recommendations based on the findings in relation to: | ||
(1) the prevalence and costs associated with urban flooding | ||
events across the State, and the trends in frequency and | ||
severity over the past two decades;
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(2) the apparent impact of global climate change on urban | ||
flooding;
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(3) the impacts of county stormwater programs on urban | ||
flooding over the past 2 decades, including a listing of | ||
projects and programs and the flood damages avoided;
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(4) an evaluation of policies, such as using the 100-year | ||
storm as the standard for designing urban stormwater detention | ||
infrastructure and the 10-year storm for the design of | ||
stormwater conveyance systems;
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(5) a review of technology to evaluate the risk of property | ||
damage from urban flooding and whether a property is in or | ||
adjacent to a 1% (100-year) floodplain or not, including LiDAR | ||
and geographic information systems;
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(6) strategies for minimizing damage to property from urban | ||
flooding, with a focus on rapid, low-cost approaches, such as | ||
non-structural and natural infrastructure, and methods for | ||
financing them;
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(7) the consistency of the criteria for State funding of | ||
flood control projects between the Department of Natural | ||
Resources, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and the | ||
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development;
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(8) strategies for increasing participation in the | ||
National Flood Insurance Program and Community Rating System; | ||
and
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(9) strategies and practices to increase the availability, | ||
affordability and effectiveness of flood insurance and | ||
basement back-up insurance.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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