National Flood Insurance Program Affordability Act

Bill: 117-hr-7202
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-8]
Introduced: 2022-03-24
Policy area: Finance and Financial Sector
Latest action: action_date: 2022-03-24
text: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-03-24
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>National Flood Insurance Program Affordability Act </strong></p> <p>This bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide discounts on National Flood Insurance Program coverage to low-income households and other entities. Specifically, the chargeable premium rate for an eligible primary residential dwelling must not exceed 1% of the median income of the area in which the property is located.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7202 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 24, 2022 Mr. Cartwright introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services A BILL To establish a means-tested assistance program for national flood insurance program policyholders, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the National Flood Insurance Program Affordability Act . 2. Means-tested assistance for national flood insurance program policyholders (a) In general The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall, not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, establish a means-tested program under which the Administrator provides assistance to eligible policyholders in the form of graduated discounts for insurance costs with respect to covered properties. (b) Discounts The Administrator shall use amounts provided under this section to establish graduated discounts available to eligible policyholders under this section, with respect to covered properties, such that the chargeable premium rate for an eligible policyholder that applies for assistance under this section may not exceed 1 percent of the area median income for the area in which the property to which the policy applies is located. (c) Application To receive assistance under this Act, an eligible policyholder shall submit an application to the Administrator at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Administrator may reasonably require and assistance will no longer be available when the amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (f) have been expended for a fiscal year. (d) Rulemaking and guidance Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue such regulations and guidance as the Administrator determines necessary to carry out this Act, including a hardship metric for small businesses and not-for-profit entities to qualify for assistance under this Act. (e) Report Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Administrator shall submit to the Congress, a report that— (1) addresses the feasibility of making eligibility for assistance under the program established under this Act based on a consideration of an eligible policyholder’s principal, interest, taxes, and insurance instead of household income as a percent of area medium income; and (2) outlines how the Administrator could use income eligibility for other Federal programs to determine eligibility for participation in the program established under this Act. (f) Appropriation (1) In general There is appropriated, annually, to the Administrator, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $250,000,000, to carry out the program established by the Administrator under subsection (a). (2) Expenditure requirement The Administrator shall, each fiscal year, expend not less than 95 percent of the amount appropriated for such fiscal year under paragraph (1). 3. Monthly installment payment for premiums Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall— (1) implement the requirement for monthly installment payments of premiums provided under section 1308(g) of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4015(g) ); or (2) submit to Congress an explanation of the reasons why the Administrator cannot implement the requirement described in paragraph (1) during that 180-day period. 4. Definitions In this Act: (1) Administrator The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2) Covered property The term covered property means— (A) a primary residential dwelling designed; or (B) personal property relating to a dwelling described in subparagraph (A). (3) Eligible policyholder The term eligible policyholder means— (A) a person who— (i) is a national flood insurance program policyholder on or after the date of the enactment of this Act; and (ii) has a household income that is not more than 120 percent of the area median income for the area in which the property to which the policy applies is located; (B) a business with not more than 100 employees that— (i) is a national flood insurance program policyholder on or after the date of the enactment of this Act; and (ii) satisfies the hardship metric published by the Administrator under section 2; or (C) a not-for-profit organization that— (i) is a national flood insurance program policyholder on or after the date of the enactment of this Act; and (ii) satisfies the hardship metric published by the Administrator under section 2. (4) Insurance costs The term insurance costs means, with respect to a covered property for a year— (A) risk premiums and fees estimated under section 1307 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 ( 42 U.S.C. 4014 ) and charged under section 1308 of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 4015 ); (B) surcharges assessed under sections 1304 and 1308A of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 4011 , 4015a); and (C) any amount established under section 1310A(c) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 4017a ).