"Flood Zone Clarification Act"; modifies procedure for delineation of State flood hazard areas.

The "Flood Zone Clarification Act" (S 3416) requires New Jersey to update its flood hazard area maps at least every 15 years, with an immediate update due within three months of the bill's effective date. It mandates that state flood hazard boundaries must be set at no more than one foot above the FEMA-defined 100-year flood elevation for each watercourse, aligning state standards with federal floodplain delineations under the National Flood Insurance Program. This affects property owners and developers needing permits for construction in flood-prone areas, as they must now base applications on these updated state boundaries. The bill also requires the Department of Environmental Protection to prioritize updates based on flood risk and use FEMA's floodplain data as the minimum protective standard.