Dam Rehabilitation and Repair Act of 2004

This bill would create a federal grant program through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help states repair or rebuild aging, publicly-owned dams. To qualify for funding, a dam must be classified as "deficient," meaning it fails to meet minimum safety standards and poses a significant risk to the public.

For citizens, the bill aims to improve community safety by reducing the risk of catastrophic flooding caused by dam failures. Under the proposal, the federal government would cover up to 65 percent of the costs for these safety upgrades, with a priority system established to address the most dangerous dams first.