I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1309 
To extend the authorization of the national flood insurance program, to 
achieve reforms to improve the financial integrity and stability of the 
program, and to increase the role of private markets in the management 
of flood insurance risk, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 1, 2011 
Mrs. BIGGERT (for herself, Ms. WATERS, Mr. DOLD, Mr. GARRETT, Mr. STIV-
ERS, and Mrs. CAPITO) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To extend the authorization of the national flood insurance 
program, to achieve reforms to improve the financial 
integrity and stability of the program, and to increase 
the role of private markets in the management of flood 
insurance risk, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Flood Insurance Re-
form Act of 2011’’. 
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SEC. 2. EXTENSIONS. 
(a) EXTENSION OF PROGRAM.—Section 1319 of the 
National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4026) 
is amended by striking ‘‘September 30, 2011’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘September 30, 2016’’. 
(b) EXTENSION OF FINANCING.—Section 1309(a) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 4016(a)) is amended by striking 
‘‘September 30, 2011’’ and inserting ‘‘September 30, 
2016’’. 
SEC. 3. MANDATORY PURCHASE. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO TEMPORARILY SUSPEND MANDA-
TORY PURCHASE REQUIREMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 102 of the Flood 
Disaster Protection Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C. 4012a) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsections: 
‘‘(i) AUTHORITY TO TEMPORARILY SUSPEND MAN-
DATORY PURCHASE REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(1) FINDING BY ADMINISTRATOR THAT AREA 
IS AN ELIGIBLE AREA.—For any area, upon a re-
quest submitted to the Administrator by a local gov-
ernment authority having jurisdiction over any por-
tion of the area, the Administrator shall make a 
finding of whether the area is an eligible area under 
paragraph (3). If the Administrator finds that such 
area is an eligible area, the Administrator shall, in 
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the discretion of the Administrator, designate a pe-
riod during which such finding shall be effective, 
which shall not be longer in duration than 12 
months. 
‘‘(2) SUSPENSION
OF
MANDATORY
PURCHASE 
REQUIREMENT.—If the Administrator makes a find-
ing under paragraph (1) that an area is an eligible 
area under paragraph (3), during the period speci-
fied in the finding, the designation of such eligible 
area as an area having special flood hazards shall 
not be effective for purposes of subsection (a), (b), 
and (e) of this section, and section 202(a) of this 
Act. Nothing in this paragraph may be construed to 
prevent any lender, servicer, regulated lending insti-
tution, Federal agency lender, the Federal National 
Mortgage Association, or the Federal Home Loan 
Mortgage Corporation, at the discretion of such enti-
ty, from requiring the purchase of flood insurance 
coverage in connection with the making, increasing, 
extending, or renewing of a loan secured by im-
proved real estate or a mobile home located or to be 
located in such eligible area during such period or 
a lender or servicer from purchasing coverage on be-
half of a borrower pursuant to subsection (e). 
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‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE AREAS.—An eligible area under 
this paragraph is an area that is designated or will, 
pursuant to any issuance, revision, updating, or 
other change in flood insurance maps that takes ef-
fect on or after the date of the enactment of the 
Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011, become des-
ignated as an area having special flood hazards and 
that meets any one of the following 3 requirements: 
‘‘(A) AREAS WITH NO HISTORY OF SPE-
CIAL FLOOD HAZARDS.—The area does not in-
clude any area that has ever previously been 
designated as an area having special flood haz-
ards. 
‘‘(B) AREAS
WITH
FLOOD
PROTECTION 
SYSTEMS
UNDER
IMPROVEMENTS.—The area 
was intended to be protected by a flood protec-
tion system— 
‘‘(i) that has been decertified as pro-
viding protection for the 100-year fre-
quency flood standard; 
‘‘(ii) that is being improved, con-
structed, or reconstructed; and 
‘‘(iii) for which the Administrator has 
determined measurable progress toward 
completion of such improvement, construc-
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tion, reconstruction is being made and to-
ward securing financial commitments suffi-
cient to fund such completion. 
‘‘(C) AREAS
FOR
WHICH
APPEAL
HAS 
BEEN FILED.—An area for which a community 
has appealed— 
‘‘(i) designation of the area as having 
special flood hazards in a timely manner 
under section 1363; or 
‘‘(ii) 
any 
decertification 
or 
deaccreditation of a dam, levee, or other 
flood protection system or the level of pro-
tection afforded by a dam, levee, or sys-
tem. 
‘‘(4) EXTENSION OF DELAY.—Upon a request 
submitted by a local government authority having 
jurisdiction over any portion of the eligible area, the 
Administrator may extend the period during which a 
finding under paragraph (1) shall be effective, ex-
cept that— 
‘‘(A) each such extension under this para-
graph shall not be for a period exceeding 12 
months; and 
‘‘(B) for any area, the cumulative number 
of such extensions may not exceed 2. 
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‘‘(5) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection may be construed to affect the appli-
cability of a designation of any area as an area hav-
ing special flood hazards for purposes of the avail-
ability of flood insurance coverage, criteria for land 
management and use, notification of flood hazards, 
eligibility for mitigation assistance, or any other pur-
pose or provision not specifically referred to in para-
graph (2). 
‘‘(6) REPORTS.—The Administrator shall, in 
each annual report submitted pursuant to section 
1320, include information identifying each finding 
under paragraph (1) by the Administrator during 
the preceding year that an area is an area having 
special flood hazards, the basis for each such find-
ing, any extensions pursuant to paragraph (4) of the 
periods of effectiveness of such findings, and the 
reasons for such extensions.’’. 
(2) NO REFUNDS.—Nothing in this subsection 
or the amendments made by this subsection may be 
construed to authorize or require any payment or re-
fund for flood insurance coverage purchased for any 
property that covered any period during which such 
coverage is not required for the property pursuant to 
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the applicability of the amendment made by para-
graph (1). 
(b) TERMINATION OF FORCE-PLACED INSURANCE.— 
Section 102(e) of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 
1973 (42 U.S.C. 4012a(e)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as 
paragraphs (5) and 6), respectively; and 
(2) by adding inserting after paragraph (2) the 
following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(3) TERMINATION OF FORCE-PLACED INSUR-
ANCE.—Within 30 days of receipt by the lender or 
servicer of a confirmation of a borrower’s existing 
flood insurance coverage, the lender or servicer 
shall— 
‘‘(A) terminate the force-placed insurance; 
and 
‘‘(B) refund to the borrower all force- 
placed insurance premiums paid by the bor-
rower during any period during which the bor-
rower’s flood insurance coverage and the force- 
placed flood insurance coverage were each in ef-
fect, and any related fees charged to the bor-
rower with respect to the force-placed insurance 
during such period. 
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‘‘(4) SUFFICIENCY OF DEMONSTRATION.—For 
purposes of confirming a borrower’s existing flood 
insurance coverage, a lender or servicer for a loan 
shall accept from the borrower an insurance policy 
declarations page that includes the existing flood in-
surance policy number and the identity of, and con-
tact information for, the insurance company or 
agent.’’. 
SEC. 4. REFORMS OF COVERAGE TERMS. 
(a) MINIMUM DEDUCTIBLES FOR CLAIMS.—Section 
1312 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 
U.S.C. 4019) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Director is’’ and inserting 
the following: ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Adminis-
trator is’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) MINIMUM ANNUAL DEDUCTIBLES.— 
‘‘(1) SUBSIDIZED RATE PROPERTIES.—For any 
structure that is covered by flood insurance under 
this title, and for which the chargeable rate for such 
coverage is less than the applicable estimated risk 
premium rate under section 1307(a)(1) for the area 
(or subdivision thereof) in which such structure is 
located, the minimum annual deductible for damage 
to or loss of such structure shall be $2,000. 
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‘‘(2) ACTUARIAL RATE PROPERTIES.—For any 
structure that is covered by flood insurance under 
this title, for which the chargeable rate for such cov-
erage is not less than the applicable estimated risk 
premium rate under section 1307(a)(1) for the area 
(or subdivision thereof) in which such structure is 
located, the minimum annual deductible for damage 
to or loss of such structure shall be $1,000.’’. 
(b) INDEXING OF MAXIMUM COVERAGE LIMITS.— 
Subsection (b) of section 1306 of the National Flood In-
surance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4013(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 
(3) by redesignating paragraph (5) as para-
graph (7); and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(8) each of the dollar amount limitations 
under paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), and (6) shall be 
adjusted effective January 1 of each year (com-
mencing in 2012), such adjustments shall be cal-
culated using the percentage change in such infla-
tionary index as the Administrator shall, by regula-
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tion, specify, and the dollar amount of any such ad-
justment shall be rounded to the next lower dollar; 
and the Administrator shall cause to be published in 
the Federal Register any adjustments under this 
paragraph to such dollar amount limitations.’’. 
(c) OPTIONAL COVERAGE FOR LOSS OF USE OF PER-
SONAL RESIDENCE AND BUSINESS INTERRUPTION.—Sub-
section (b) of section 1306 of the National Flood Insur-
ance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4013(b)), as amended by 
the preceding provisions of this section, is further amend-
ed by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(5) the Administrator may provide that, in the 
case of any residential property, each renewal or new 
contract for flood insurance coverage may provide 
not more than $5,000 aggregate liability per dwell-
ing unit for any necessary increases in living ex-
penses incurred by the insured when losses from a 
flood make the residence unfit to live in, except 
that— 
‘‘(A) purchase of such coverage shall be at 
the option of the insured; 
‘‘(B) any such coverage shall be made 
available only at chargeable rates that are not 
less than the estimated premium rates for such 
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coverage determined in accordance with section 
1307(a)(1); and 
‘‘(C) the Administrator may make such 
coverage available only if the Administrator 
makes a determination and causes notice of 
such determination to be published in the Fed-
eral Register that— 
‘‘(i) a competitive private insurance 
market for such coverage does not exist; 
and 
‘‘(ii) the national flood insurance pro-
gram has the capacity to make such cov-
erage available without borrowing funds 
from the Secretary of the Treasury under 
section 1309 or otherwise; 
‘‘(6) the Administrator may provide that, in the 
case of any commercial property or other residential 
property, including multifamily rental property, cov-
erage for losses resulting from any partial or total 
interruption of the insured’s business caused by 
damage to, or loss of, such property from a flood 
may be made available to every insured upon re-
newal and every applicant, up to a total amount of 
$20,000 per property, except that— 
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‘‘(A) purchase of such coverage shall be at 
the option of the insured; 
‘‘(B) any such coverage shall be made 
available only at chargeable rates that are not 
less than the estimated premium rates for such 
coverage determined in accordance with section 
1307(a)(1); and 
‘‘(C) the Administrator may make such 
coverage available only if the Administrator 
makes a determination and causes notice of 
such determination to be published in the Fed-
eral Register that— 
‘‘(i) a competitive private insurance 
market for such coverage does not exist; 
and 
‘‘(ii) the national flood insurance pro-
gram has the capacity to make such cov-
erage available without borrowing funds 
from the Secretary of the Treasury under 
section 1309 or otherwise;’’. 
(d) PAYMENT OF PREMIUMS IN INSTALLMENTS FOR 
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.—Section 1306 of the Na-
tional Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4013) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
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