that the Administrator determines is appro-
priate to cover the costs of investigations and 
inspections performed pursuant to such policies 
and reimburse Write Your Own companies par-
ticipating in the program under this subsection 
for such costs.’’. 
SEC. 5. IMPROVEMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND LITIGA-
TION PROCESS FOR CLAIMS ADJUDICATION. 
(a) INDUSTRY PROGRAM WITH FEDERAL FINANCIAL 
ASSISTANCE.—Section 1333 of the National Flood Insur-
ance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4053) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘mailing of notice of disallow-
ance or partial disallowance by the Administrator’’ 
and inserting ‘‘the final determination by the Ad-
ministrator disallowing or partially disallowing the 
claim’’; and 
(2) by adding after the period at the end the 
following: ‘‘If the claimant prevails in an action 
under this section, the court may award costs of liti-
gation, including attorneys fee, litigation expenses, 
and engineering and other expert expenses, to the 
claimant. Any such award shall be paid by the Ad-
ministrator and, upon such payment, the Adminis-
trator shall be subrogated to the rights of the claim-
ant to recover such costs for which the Adminis-
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trator has compensated the claimant from any com-
pany or other insurer responsible for the disallow-
ance of the claim.’’. 
(b) GOVERNMENT PROGRAM WITH INDUSTRY AS-
SISTANCE.—Section 1341 of the National Flood Insurance 
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4072) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘mailing of notice of disallow-
ance or partial disallowance of’’ and inserting ‘‘the 
final determination disallowing or partially dis-
allowing’’; and 
(2) by adding after the period at the end the 
following: ‘‘If the claimant prevails in an action 
under this section, the court may award costs of liti-
gation, including attorneys fee, litigation expenses, 
and engineering and other expert expenses, to the 
claimant. Any such award shall be paid by the Ad-
ministrator and, upon such payment, the Adminis-
trator shall be subrogated to the rights of the claim-
ant to recover such costs for which the Adminis-
trator has compensated the claimant from any insur-
ance company or other insurer or insurance adjust-
ment organization that may be responsible for the 
disallowance of the claim.’’. 
(c) AWARDS FOR COSTS IN APPEALS TO FEMA.— 
Section 1312 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 
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(42 U.S.C. 4019) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) AWARDS FOR COSTS IN ADMINISTRATIVE PRO-
CEEDINGS.—If the claimant prevails in any appeal to the 
Administrator of the disallowance of a claim for losses cov-
ered by flood insurance made available under this title, 
the Administrator shall award costs of the appeal, includ-
ing attorneys fee, any proceeding expenses, and engineer-
ing and other expert expenses, to the claimant.’’. 
(d) USE OF PRIVATE COUNSEL.—Section 1347 of the 
National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4083) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(c) USE OF PRIVATE COUNSEL.— 
‘‘(1) FEE SCHEDULE.—The Administrator shall 
establish a fee schedule for payment of private coun-
sel used to represent the Administrator in controver-
sies, actions, and proceedings in connection with the 
National Flood Insurance Program under this title. 
‘‘(2) 
REQUIREMENT
FOR 
PREAUTHORIZATION.—The Administrator shall re-
quire any private counsel obtained in connection 
with any controversy, action, or proceeding in con-
nection with the National Flood Insurance Program 
under this title to obtain authorization from the Ad-
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ministrator before taking any major action associ-
ated with such controversy, action, or proceeding, 
which shall include settlement, hiring experts, and 
such other actions as the Administrator shall speci-
fy.’’. 
SEC. 6. IMPROVEMENT OF OVERSIGHT OF ENGINEERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part C of chapter 2 of the Na-
tional Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4081 et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section: 
‘‘SEC. 1349. OVERSIGHT OF ENGINEERS. 
‘‘(a) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Administrator shall re-
quire that any individual that provides engineering serv-
ices in connection with flood insurance coverage provided 
under this title, including inspections under section 
1306(e) and services in connection with assessing any 
claim for losses covered by a policy for such coverage, 
shall— 
‘‘(1) have registered with the Administrator and 
certified to the Administrator that the engineer is 
professionally licensed to practice as an engineer; 
‘‘(2) have expertise in a particular discipline of 
engineering or act within the area of their com-
petency, as the Administrator shall require; and 
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‘‘(3) be certified by the Administrator pursuant 
to subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) CERTIFICATION BY FEMA.— 
‘‘(1) REQUIREMENT.—The Administrator shall 
carry out a program under this subsection to certify 
engineers as qualified to provide engineering services 
in connection with flood insurance coverage provided 
under this title. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The program under this sub-
section shall— 
‘‘(A) include an initial training seminar; 
‘‘(B) provide such standards and testing 
requirements as the Administrator shall estab-
lish; and 
‘‘(C) require an annual renewal of certifi-
cation through continuing education. 
‘‘(c) FEES.— 
‘‘(1) SCHEDULE; COLLECTION.—The Adminis-
trator shall establish and collect fees using a stand-
ardized fee schedule for all engineering services pro-
vided in connection with flood insurance coverage 
provided under this title, which schedule shall be 
similar to the fee schedule of the Administrator used 
for companies adjusting claims under such coverage. 
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‘‘(2) DEPOSIT.—Any fees collected under para-
graph (1) section shall be deposited into the Na-
tional Flood Insurance Fund pursuant to section 
1310(b)(6). 
‘‘(d) IDENTIFICATION
NUMBERS.—The Adminis-
trator shall establish a system to provide a unique numer-
ical identifier for each engineer that provides engineering 
services in connection with flood insurance coverage pro-
vided under this title to assist in tracking past perform-
ance in the provision of such services. 
‘‘(e) SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTATION.—In the case 
of any insurance company participating in the Write Your 
Own program (as such term is defined in section 100202 
of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 
2012 (42 U.S.C. 4004)): 
‘‘(1) TO
WRITE
YOUR
OWN
INSURERS.—The 
Administrator shall— 
‘‘(A) require all such participating insur-
ance companies to obtain from providers of en-
gineering services provided in connection with 
flood insurance coverage provided under this 
title, including any sub-contractors, 
‘‘(i) 
documentation 
sufficient 
to 
itemize and disaggregate the costs and fees 
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for such services, including the costs and 
fees for any subcontractors; and 
‘‘(ii) all photos, notes, draft reports, 
and other documentation relating to pro-
viding such services in connection with a 
claim under such coverage; 
‘‘(B) make available to such participating 
insurance companies the fee schedule estab-
lished under subsection (c) and such other in-
formation as may be necessary to enable such 
participating insurance companies to determine 
whether the costs and fees charged by providers 
of engineering services are reasonable in rela-
tion to the services provided. 
‘‘(2) TO FEMA.—The Administrator shall re-
quire each such insurance company to submit to the 
Administrator, before any reimbursement or other 
allowance, payment, or compensation is provided 
under the Write Your Own program in connection 
with engineering services provided, all supporting 
documentation relating to such engineering serv-
ices.’’. 
(b) USE OF FEES.—Subsection (a) of section 1310 
of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
4017(a)) is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating paragraphs (7) and (8) as 
paragraphs (9) and (10), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (6) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(7) to the extent that fees are deposited in the 
Fund pursuant to section 1349(c)(2), for costs asso-
ciated with carrying out systems for certification and 
identification under subsections (b) and (d), respec-
tively, of section 1349;’’. 
SEC. 7. PUBLICLY SEARCHABLE ONLINE REGISTRY. 
Part C of chapter 2 of the National Flood Insurance 
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4081 et seq.), as amended by the 
preceding provisions of this Act, is further amended by 
adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 1350. PUBLICLY SEARCHABLE ONLINE REGISTRY. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT
AND
MAINTENANCE.—The 
Administrator shall provide for the establishment and 
maintenance of a national registry, organized by State of 
residence, of all companies and individuals providing serv-
ices relating to the selling, writing, or servicing of flood 
insurance made available under this title or relating to the 
adjusting of claims under such flood insurance, which 
shall include all insurance companies participating in the 
Write Your Own program (as such term is defined in sec-
tion 100202 of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Re-
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form Act of 2012 (42 U.S.C. 4004)) and all individuals 
participating in the direct servicing program, including— 
‘‘(1) all individuals selling and writing policies 
for flood insurance coverage under this title; 
‘‘(2) all companies and individuals providing ad-
justing services in connection with such flood insur-
ance; 
‘‘(3) all companies and individuals providing en-
gineering services in connection with such flood in-
surance, identification of engineers using the unique 
numerical identifier assigned pursuant to section 
1349(d), and information regarding past perform-
ance in providing such services, including identifica-
tion of cases worked on, cases that involved litiga-
tion, and any association of the engineer with any 
company convicted of fraud; 
‘‘(4) information identifying all penalties, fines, 
and criminal convictions of all such companies and 
individuals relating to the operation of the national 
flood insurance program; and 
‘‘(5) information identifying any conviction or 
penalty assessed for fraud pertaining to any such 
company or individual. 
‘‘(b) PUBLIC
AVAILABILITY.—The Administrator 
shall ensure that the registry required to be established 
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and maintained under this section is publicly available on-
line in a manner that provides the capacity to search the 
registry by the name of the company or individual. 
‘‘(c) ANNUAL REVIEW.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States shall conduct a review of the registry 
established and maintained under this section on a bien-
nial basis to ensure its accuracy and currency. 
‘‘(d) ADMINISTRATION.— 
‘‘(1) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.—The Admin-
istrator shall enter into a contract with an appro-
priate nonprofit organization to establish and main-
tain the registry under this section. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated for payments 
under the contract under paragraph (1) such sums 
as may be necessary for establishment and mainte-
nance of the national registry under this section.’’. 
SEC. 8. PENALTIES FOR FRAUD AND FALSE STATEMENTS 
IN THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PRO-
GRAM. 
Part C of chapter 2 of the National Flood Insurance 
Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4081 et seq.), as amended by the 
preceding provisions of this Act, is further amended by 
adding at the end the following new section: 
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‘‘SEC. 1351. PENALTIES FOR FRAUD AND FALSE STATE-
MENTS IN THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE 
PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) OFFENSE.—It shall be unlawful, in the prepara-
tion, production, or submission of any report in connection 
with the proving or adjusting of a claim for flood insur-
ance coverage made available under this title, including 
any engineering report or claims adjustment report, to 
knowingly engage in the practice of engineering without 
a license, to knowingly forge any such report, or to know-
ingly make any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent 
statement or representation in such a report. 
‘‘(b) PENALTIES.—Whoever violates subsection (a) 
shall be subject to any one or more of the following pen-
alties: 
‘‘(1) CRIMINAL.—In the case of a person who 
is an individual, imprisonment for not more than 18 
months. 
‘‘(2) CIVIL.—Such civil penalties as the Admin-
istrator, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and 
the Attorney General shall, by regulation, establish, 
which may include civil monetary penalties and 
fines, suspension and debarment from participation 
in the National Flood Insurance Program, and such 
other civil sanctions as such officials consider appro-
priate. In the case of any fine or monetary penalty 
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