I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1423 
To reauthorize and improve the national flood insurance program, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 8, 2017 
Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To reauthorize and improve the national flood insurance 
program, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization and 
Improvement Act of 2017’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Extension of national flood insurance program. 
Sec. 3. Improved disclosure requirement for standard flood insurance policies. 
Sec. 4. Properties with preexisting conditions. 
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Sec. 5. Improvement of administrative and litigation process for claims adju-
dication. 
Sec. 6. Improvement of oversight of engineers. 
Sec. 7. Publicly searchable online registry. 
Sec. 8. Penalties for fraud and false statements in the National Flood Insur-
ance Program. 
Sec. 9. Whistleblower protection for employees. 
Sec. 10. Engineering firm independence. 
Sec. 11. GAO reports. 
Sec. 12. Regulations. 
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) FINANCING.—Section 1309(a) of the National 
Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4016(a)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2017’’ and inserting 
‘‘September 30, 2027’’. 
(b) PROGRAM EXPIRATION.—Section 1319 of the Na-
tional Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4026) is 
amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2017’’ and inserting 
‘‘September 30, 2027’’. 
SEC. 
3. 
IMPROVED 
DISCLOSURE 
REQUIREMENT 
FOR 
STANDARD FLOOD INSURANCE POLICIES. 
Section 100234 of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insur-
ance Reform Act of 2012 (42 U.S.C. 4013a) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsections: 
‘‘(c) DISCLOSURE OF COVERAGE.— 
‘‘(1) DISCLOSURE SHEET.—Each policy under 
the National Flood Insurance Program shall include 
a disclosure sheet that sets forth, in plain lan-
guage— 
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‘‘(A) the definition of the term ‘flood’ for 
purposes of coverage under the policy; 
‘‘(B) a description of what type of flood 
forces are necessary so that losses from an 
event are covered under the policy, including 
overflow of inland or tidal waves, unusual and 
rapid accumulation or runoff of a surface any 
source, and mudflow; 
‘‘(C) a statement of the types and charac-
teristics of losses that are not covered under the 
policy; 
‘‘(D) a summary of total cost and amount 
of insurance coverage; 
‘‘(E) a statement that the disclosure sheet 
provides general information about the policy-
holder’s standard flood insurance policy; 
‘‘(F) a statement that the standard flood 
insurance policy, together with the application, 
endorsements, and declarations page, make up 
the official contract and are controlling in the 
event that there is any difference between the 
information on the disclosure sheet and the in-
formation in the policy; and 
‘‘(G) a statement that if the policyholder 
has any questions regarding information in the 
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disclosure sheet or policy he or she should con-
tact their insurance agent, together with the ad-
dress and phone number at which to contact 
such agent. 
‘‘(2) ACKNOWLEDGMENT SHEET.—Each policy 
under the National Flood Insurance Program shall 
include an acknowledgment sheet that sets forth, in 
plain language— 
‘‘(A) a statement of whether or not there 
is a basement in the property to be covered by 
the policy; 
‘‘(B) a statement of whether or not the 
policy provides coverage for the contents of the 
property covered by the policy; 
‘‘(C) a statement that the standard flood 
insurance policy, together with the application, 
endorsements, and declarations page, make up 
the official contract and are controlling in the 
event that there is any difference between the 
information on the acknowledgment sheet and 
the information in the policy; and 
‘‘(D) a statement that if the policyholder 
has any questions regarding information in the 
acknowledgment sheet or policy he or she 
should contact their insurance agent, together 
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with the address and phone number at which to 
contact such agent. 
‘‘(3) REQUIRED
SIGNATURES.—A policy for 
flood insurance coverage under the National Flood 
Insurance Program may not take effect unless the 
disclosure sheet required under paragraph (1) and 
the acknowledgment sheet required under paragraph 
(2), with respect to the policy, are signed and dated 
by the policyholder, the insurance agent who sold the 
policy, and a representative of the Administrator. 
‘‘(d) AVAILABILITY IN OTHER LANGUAGES.— 
‘‘(1) AVAILABILITY.—The Administrator shall 
make policies under the National Flood Insurance 
Program, and the disclosure and acknowledgment 
sheets required by subsection (c), available in Span-
ish language versions and in such other languages as 
the Administrator considers appropriate and shall 
provide such a version at the request of the insured 
or prospective insured. 
‘‘(2) PUBLICIZING AVAILABILITY.—The Admin-
istrator shall take such actions as may be necessary 
to inform insureds and prospective insures of the 
availability of policies in such languages other than 
English. 
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‘‘(3) CONFLICTING INFORMATION.—In the case 
of any difference between the information that is 
provided pursuant to this subsection to a policy-
holder in the English language and in the Spanish 
or other language, the information provided in the 
English language shall be determinative.’’. 
SEC. 4. PROPERTIES WITH PREEXISTING CONDITIONS. 
Section 1311 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 
1968 (42 U.S.C. 4018) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection: 
‘‘(c) PROGRAM FOR INVESTIGATION OF PREEXISTING 
STRUCTURAL CONDITIONS.— 
‘‘(1) VOLUNTARY
PROGRAM.—The Adminis-
trator shall carry out a program to provide for com-
panies 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)) to investigate preexisting 
structural conditions of insured properties and po-
tentially insured properties that could result in the 
denial of a claim under a policy for flood insurance 
coverage under this title in the event of a flood loss 
to such property. Participation in the program shall 
be voluntary on the part of Write Your Own compa-
nies. 
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