On Thursday, September 19th, by a vote of 301-123, the U.S. House passed H.R. 4378, a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to fund the federal government until November 21. An extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), set to expire September 30, was included in the bill. The Senate is expected to consider the legislation soon, and, if the bill passes there and is signed into law by the president before midnight on September 30th, the new NFIP expiration date will be November 21.
If this bill becomes law, the NFIP will be up to its 13th short-term extension since its last long-term reauthorization expired in 2017. Legislation to provide a long-term reauthorization passed out of the House Financial Services Committee in June with PIA National’s input and support, but progress since then has stalled. PIA National is continuing to work closely with policymakers to have that bill brought to the House floor as soon as possible.
The Senate has been far less active than the House; no hearings or legislation have been considered in the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee yet this year. In addition, several senators have introduced legislation that would harm independent agents, and PIA opposes that legislation.
PIA National will continue to advocate for a long-term reauthorization of the NFIP that recognizes the key role independent agents play in delivering the program to consumers.