Hoffman Bill to Safeguard Public From Excessive Flooding

BELLEVILLE, Ill. – State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, recently introduced legislation that would require new oversight in assessing the structural integrity of levees before administering permits to make repairs.

“Recently, the Metro East took the initiative and used local dollars to improve its levee system to prevent the risk of flooding. However, many other communities are building levees that could potentially cause flooding in our area,” Hoffman said. “To provide additional safeguards for residents in our community, I am co-sponsoring a bill that requires engineers and other experts to weigh-in before moving forward to make repairs on levees containing large bodies of water.”

Hoffman’s measure, House Bill 5130, requires the Department of Natural Resources to evaluate and the assess the structural integrity of levees prior to administering permits to prevent potential flooding that could arise in the process of making repairs. The legislation is specifically crafted to reduce the possibility of flooding in the interest of advancing stronger public safety policies.

“As it has always been, my highest priorities are moving forward to protect the people within our community,” Hoffman said.