National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2017
Latest action. Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2017
This bill amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through FY2027.
Every policy issued under NFIP must include documents describing the type of loss covered, a summary of the costs of the policy, and an explanation of the policy's parameters.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is directed to establish a program for "Write Your Own" companies (a company that writes and services federal standard flood insurance policies in its own name) to investigate preexisting structural conditions in properties. Participation in this program shall be voluntary.
In the event a policyholder prevails in a lawsuit regarding claims against an insurance company or FEMA, the court may award litigation costs. Costs of an administrative appeal shall be awarded to a prevailing claimant.
Engineers providing services in connection with NFIP must be certified by FEMA and be professionally licensed as an engineer.
FEMA must establish a publicly searchable online registry of companies and individuals providing services related to NFIP.
The bill establishes criminal and civil penalties for committing fraud or making false statements in connection with NFIP.
The bill establishes whistleblower protections for individuals performing tasks related to NFIP, including federal employees, Write Your Own employees, and third-party administrators and service providers.
It is unlawful for Write Your Own companies to violate the independence of a provider of engineering services in connection with flood insurance coverage.
The Government Accountability Office must report on: (1) the effects of global warming on NFIP solvency, and (2) Hurricane Sandy claims handled by Write Your Own companies.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on March 8, 2017. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on March 8, 2017: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 115th Congress (2017-18), 442 of the 11,421 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
NYDIA VELAZQUEZ (D-NY) introduced it on March 8, 2017. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on March 8, 2017, 3473 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 3473 days ago, on March 8, 2017.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 115th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2019 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers