Introduced in House

[Congressional Bills 114th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 141 Introduced in House (IH)] 114th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 141 To ensure fairness in premium rates for coverage for business properties and second homes under the National Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 6, 2015 Mr. Jolly (for himself, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Murphy of Florida, Ms. Frankel of Florida, and Mr. Curbelo of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To ensure fairness in premium rates for coverage for business properties and second homes under the National Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Flood Insurance Premium Parity Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF CERTAIN RATE INCREASES.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF CERTAIN RATE INCREASES. (a) Repeal of Prohibition on Subsidized Rates.--Paragraph (2) of

section 1307(a) of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C.

section 1307(a) of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4014) is amended-- (1) in subparagraph (A)-- (A) by striking ``which is not'' and inserting ``that is neither''; and (B) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: ``nor the secondary residence of the owner of the property, and the Administrator shall establish standards for a residential property to qualify for purposes of this subparagraph as a secondary residence that shall (A) require the owner of the property to occupy the property for a minimum period of time each year, as the Administrator determines appropriate, and (B) provide that only a single property of any owner may so qualify''; (2) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``or'' after the semicolon at the end; (3) by striking subparagraph (D); and (4) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (D). (b) Conforming Amendments Relating to Limitation on Annual Rate Increases.--Paragraph (4) of section 1308(e) of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4015(e)(4)), as amended by section 5 of Public Law 113-89, is amended by striking ``(A) through (E)'' and inserting ``(A) through (D)''. (c) Implementation.-- (1) Effective date.--The Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (in this subsection referred to as the ``Administrator'') shall make available such rate tables, as necessary to implement the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) as if such subsections were enacted as part of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-141; 126 Stat. 957). (2) Implementation, coordination, and guidance.-- (A) Facilitation of timely refunds.--To ensure the participation of Write Your Own companies (as such term is defined in section 100202(a) of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (42 U.S.C. 4004(a))), the Administrator and the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall consult with Write Your Own companies throughout the development of guidance and rate tables necessary to implement the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b). (B) Implementation and guidance.--The Administrator shall issue final guidance and rate tables necessary to implement the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) not later than eight months following the date of the enactment of this Act. Write Your Own companies, in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, shall have not less than six months but not more than eight months following the issuance of such final guidance and rate tables to implement the changes required by such final guidance and rate tables. (C) Refund of excess premium charges collected.-- The Administrator shall refund directly to insureds any premiums for flood insurance coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program collected in excess of the rates required under the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b). To allow for necessary and appropriate implementation of such amendments, any premium changes necessary to implement such amendments, including any such premium refund due to policyholders, which shall be paid directly by the National Flood Insurance Program, shall not be charged or paid to policyholders by the National Flood Insurance Program until after the Administrator issues guidance and makes available such rate tables to implement the amendments made by subsections (a) and (b).