Flood Insurance Mitigation and Policyholder Protection Act of 2015

To improve the process for claims for losses under the National Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Flood Insurance Mitigation and Policyholder Protection Act of 2015 2. Claims adjustment and engineering reports Section 1312 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4019 (d) Claims adjustment and engineering reports The Administrator shall require that, in the case of any on-site inspection of a property by a claims adjustor or engineer for the purpose of assessing any claim for losses covered by a policy for flood insurance coverage provided under this title, any report shall be provided to the insured under the policy, as follows: (1) Timing Such report may not be transmitted to any other person, employer, agency, or entity, before it is transmitted to the insured. (2) Prohibition on alterations; certification The report may not include alterations by, or at the request of, anyone other than such preparer and shall include a certification, signed by the preparer of the report, that it does not contain any such alterations. (3) Transmittal The report shall be transmitted to the insured in a manner as the Administrator shall provide that provides reasonable assurance that it was transmitted directly to the insured by the preparer. (4) Reports covered For purposes of this subsection, the term report . 3. Judicial review (a) Government program with industry assistance Section 1341 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4072 , may institute or, in the case of a denial of a claim for losses that is appealed to the Administrator, within one year after the date of a final determination upon appeal denying such claim in whole or in part (b) Industry program with Federal financial assistance Section 1333 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4053 , may institute or, in the case of a denial of a claim for losses that is appealed to the Administrator, within one year after the date of a final determination upon appeal denying such claim in whole or in part 4. Issuance of guidelines for flood mitigation methods for buildings The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall issue the guidelines required under 1361(d) of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4102(d) Public Law 113–89

Summary: Flood Insurance Mitigation and Policyholder Protection Act of 2015 This bill amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to require that any report of an on-site inspection of a property by a claims adjustor or engineer for the purpose of assessing any claim for losses covered by a flood insurance policy under such Act: may not be transmitted to any other person, employer, agency, or entity, before it is transmitted to the insured; may not include alterations by, or at the request of, anyone other than such preparer and shall include the preparer's certification that it does not contain any such alterations; and shall be transmitted in a manner that gives reasonable assurance that it was transmitted directly to the insured by the preparer. A claimant is authorized, in the case of a denial by FEMA or an insurance company of a claim for losses that is appealed to FEMA, to institute an action on such claim against FEMA or such insurance company in U.S. district court within one year after the date of a final determination upon appeal denying such claim. FEMA must, within 60 days after enactment of this Act, issue guidelines required under the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 for alternative mitigation methods, other than building elevation, to reduce flood risk to residential buildings that cannot be elevated due to their structural characteristics.