WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-03), introduced four bills to provide critical fixes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

“As the Representative of a district that is home to thousands of miles of shoreline between the Missouri, Mississippi, and Osage Rivers and the Lake of the Ozarks, flood insurance is a major priority for me each Congress. Missourians and Americans who live in flood zones unfortunately know all too well how devastating the effects of flooding are and how difficult the NFIP can be to navigate. This program is in desperate need of permanent, meaningful reform, and as a member of the House Financial Services Committee I’m in a position to do it. My bills will protect taxpayers from bailing out the NFIP in the future; give flood mapping authority back to the states, local leaders, and policyholders who know our area best; and ensure Missourians aren’t paying higher prices to subsidize wealthy coastal homeowners,” said Luetkemeyer.

Legislation:
The Taxpayer Exposure Mitigation Act requires FEMA to purchase reinsurance or some capital market alternative to protect taxpayers from footing the bill for future losses. This provision was included in H.R. 2246, which passed the House Financial Services Committee by a vote of 36-24 in the 115th Congress.

The Community Mapping Act allows local communities to develop alternative flood maps, shifting power from Washington bureaucrats to those who know their community best. This provision was included in H.R. 2246, which passed the House Financial Services Committee by a vote of 36-24 in the 115th Congress.

Congressman Luetkemeyer also reintroduced a bill  in determining the premium rates for flood insurance coverage under the NFIP, ensuring homeowners pay their fair share and do not subsidize America’s wealthier coastal homeowners. This legislation passed the House Financial Services Committee by a vote of 34-25 in the 115th Congress.

And Congressman Luetkemeyer reintroduced a bill allowing commercial properties to opt-out of the NFIP mandatory purchase requirement, allowing businesses to more easily purchase private flood coverage. This provision was included in H.R. 2246, which passed the House Financial Services Committee by a vote of 36-24 in the 115th Congress.