WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King released the following statement today following the passage of the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act:

“The flood mapping process is usually long and very complicated, and as a consequence, can often result in inaccurate maps that improperly impact insurance holders’ premiums. It is imperative that FEMA’s flood maps accurately reflect the actual, scientific flood risk to homes and communities along Maine’s coast. The Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act would delay impending rate increases for Mainers and provide FEMA with additional time to engage and collaborate with communities on better, more localized data that will ultimately produce more precise maps and more accurate premiums.

“I am pleased the bill includes my amendment to mandate and clarify that local communities are eligible for reimbursement by the government for the costs incurred to successfully appeal bad maps. Simply put, when a community successfully challenges the accuracy of a FEMA map, it should not also have to pay for the often hefty expenses of doing so, which can be especially hard during these difficult economic times. My amendment would compel FEMA to get the science right from the start, but even in cases when they don’t, it would prevent communities from paying the price – literally.

“With that said, while I’m happy that the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act will prevent significant and largely unaffordable rate hikes from hitting Mainers, I am still very concerned about the economic sustainability and viability of the program, which is already seriously in debt. I look forward to FEMA developing an affordability framework, should this bill become law, and I also look forward to seeing how the House moves forward on this issue. I am committed to providing relief for Mainers who are facing high flood insurance premiums due to inaccurate maps, and I will continue to work to ensure the long-term sustainability of the flood insurance program.”

BACKGROUND ON KING AMENDMENT:

Earlier this month, Senator King filed an amendment to the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act, which was accepted by unanimous consent, that would make communities eligible for reimbursement from the government for the costs of successfully appealing inaccurate flood maps.

As current law stands, when FEMA locates a home incorrectly on a flood map, a homeowner can appeal the error in order to avoid paying the associated higher premium, and if successful, is eligible for reimbursement by the government for the costs incurred during the appeals process. Unfortunately, regulations have not been promulgated to enable this reimbursement and homeowners are not currently being reimbursed. The Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act fixes this, and mandates that homeowners be eligible for reimbursement. Often times, however, entire communities or municipalities appeal a mapping process or result. Unlike an individual homeowner, though, communities as a whole are not eligible for reimbursement under current law and the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act, and thereby would be left to pay for the costs of an appeal process themselves.

The amendment filed by Senator King would alter current law and the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act to mandate that communities are also eligible for reimbursement for the costs of successfully appealing bad mapping procedures or results.

Last week, Senator King also urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a letter to adopt a thorough and transparent approach to the upcoming appeal process for recently-issued flood maps in southern Maine and to openly welcome data provided by municipalities in order to establish maps that accurately reflect flood risk.

###