US Rep. Stephen F. Lynch has introduced federal legislation that seeks to shore up coastal barriers by expanding existing funding to include seawalls in communities like Dorchester and South Boston. His bill, the Seawall Expansion Act, would amend existing qualifications for inclusion in federal funding.

Currently, Lynch said, the only infrastructure included are “embankments defined as levees.” His bill would allow “hard and soft infrastructure that act as a coastal barrier to be included as well.

“Coastal barriers such as seawalls and beach dunes are critical to protecting our coastline and keeping residents, businesses and our environment safe,” he said. “They need consistent maintenance to ensure they remain secure, which requires cities and towns like Hull, Hingham, Weymouth, Quincy, and Boston, to seek federal funding to help keep them updated.

“The National Levee database is just that, a list of levees, and it is often used as a source for the distribution of federal funding,” he added. “The Seawall Expansion Act would ensure coastal barriers everywhere, made of hard and soft infrastructure, would be included in the National Levee database and subsequently make it easier to receive federal funding and assistance from the Army Corps of Engineers.”