An exciting piece of legislation was introduced to the House of Representative in November, 2025, after being first introduced to the Senate in May, 2025. House Bill 6256, the Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act (FERA), is supported by a diverse group of organizations and includes four Wisconsin representatives as bill sponsors, led by original bill cosponsor Congressman Bryan Steil (R-Janesville).
This bipartisan legislation reforms antiquated policies within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program that have discouraged restoration of degraded floodplains by subjecting projects to the same review requirements as traditional development projects.
The bill corrects this by:
- Reducing costly permitting fees and lengthy review timelines for ecosystem restoration projects; and
- Creating flexibilities that enable communities to permit a rise in base flood elevations for ecosystem restoration projects where it can be done safely to reduce flood risks.
Though first conceived by American Rivers and legislators from the Pacific Northwest to remove barriers to restoration for salmon recovery, Wisconsin Wetlands Association’s engagement helped demonstrate how FEMA regulations also hinder floodplain restoration for flood risk reduction and other benefits in the Upper Midwest. When sharing this context with Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation, we found a strong ally for reform in Congressman Steil and his staff.
To build momentum for enactment, we have gathered and circulated statements of support from a diversity of Wisconsin-based organizations.