Sec. 154. Levee Owners Board
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Section 9003 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 ( 33 U.S.C. 3302 ) is amended to read as follows: There is hereby established a Levee Owners Board (hereinafter in this section referred to as the Owners Board ) composed of the eleven members appointed by the Secretary. The members shall be appointed so as to represent various regions of the country, including at least one Federal levee system owner-operator from each of the eight civil works divisions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Secretary of the Army shall designate, and the Administrator of FEMA may designate, a representative to act as an observer of the Owners Board. A member of the Owners Board shall be appointed for a period of 3 years. A member of the Owners Board may be reappointed to the Owners Board, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate. A vacancy on the Owners Board shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made. The members of the Owners Board shall appoint a chairperson from among the members of the Owners Board.
The Owners Board shall meet not less frequently than semiannually to develop and make recommendations to the Secretary and Congress regarding levee system reliability throughout the United States. The Owners Board shall provide— prior to the development of the budget proposal of the President for a given fiscal year, advice and recommendations to the Secretary regarding overall levee system reliability; advice and recommendations to Congress regarding any feasibility report for a flood risk management project that has been submitted to Congress; not later than 60 days after the date of the submission of the budget proposal of the President to Congress, advice and recommendations to Congress regarding flood risk management project construction and rehabilitation priorities and corresponding spending levels; advice and recommendations to the Secretary and the Congress regarding effectiveness of the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers levee safety program, including comments and recommendations on the budgets and expenditures as described in subsection (c)(2); and advice and recommendations to the Secretary, the Congress, and the Administrator regarding effectiveness of the levee safety initiative established by section 9005, including comments and recommendations on the budgets and expenditures described in subsection (c)(2). Any advice or recommendations made by the Owners Board shall reflect the independent judgment of the Owners Board.
The Secretary shall— designate an Executive Secretary who shall assist the Chairman in administering the Owners Board and ensuring that the Owners Board operates in accordance with chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code; provide to the Owners Board such detailed reports of Corps activities and expenditures related to flood risk management and levees, including for the Corps levee safety program and the levee safety initiative, not less frequently than semiannually; and submit to the Owners Board a courtesy copy of any completed feasibility report for a flood risk management project submitted to Congress.
The Owners Board shall be subject to chapter 10 of title 5, other than section 1013, and with the consent of the appropriate agency head, the Owners Board may use the facilities and services of any Federal agency. For the purposes of complying with chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, the members of the Owners Board shall not be considered special Government employees (as defined in section 202 of title 18, United States Code). Non-Federal members of the Owners Board while engaged in the performance of their duties away from their homes or regular places of business, may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United States Code. .