276.5—Legislative history.
Discussion of this legislation is contained in the reports by the Senate Committee on Public Works and the House Committee on Public Works and Transportation which accompanied S. 3823, the Water Resources Development Act of 1976 (Pub. L. 94-587). These reports make clear that Congress intended to encourage local communities to assume responsibility and accelerate local cooperation in reducing urban flooding dangers without committing the United States to any future Federal expenditure. The Senate Committee report noted that some communities might be reluctant to undertake compatible local flood control measures for fear that the local work would jeopardize the potentially favorable cost-benefit ratio of a prospective Federal project. The Act authorizes establishing a procedure for certification of certain local improvements undertaken for the purpose of flood control. Cost assignable to that part of the local improvement that would constitute an integral part of a prospective Federal plan would be eligible to be recommended for credit toward required local cooperation. The Senate Committee report specifically stated that:
* * * This flexibility should in no way be interpreted as a Federal assurance of late approval of any project. While it is in no way a Federal commitment, this provision assures the city that the work it undertakes, once certified, will not be removed from the cost-benefit analysis. and it assures the city that such local work will be credited toward the local costs of cooperation, should the project be later authorized. This will not, however, qualify the community for any cash refunds. If the local costs on such certified work exceed the local share, when later computed, the local government must assume that extra cost. * * *