Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011

Floor Speech

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Chairman, I will be brief.

My amendment is simple. If FEMA makes a mistake in designing a flood map, communities can be reimbursed for the cost of mounting a successful challenge. If FEMA makes a mistake in mapping a flood area, then they should pay for it. Doing so will result in significant savings for cities and towns and homeowners. And to me, this is something that should be noncontroversial and hopefully wins bipartisan support.

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Mr. Chair, I was pleased that the Rules Committee made in order my amendment to H.R. 1309.

My amendment is simple: if FEMA makes a mistake in designing a flood map, communities can be reimbursed the costs of mounting a successful challenge.

Currently, communities that dispute FEMA's flood elevations can hire a private engineering firm to get a "second opinion'' flood map.

While this may sound like an attractive option, it puts small communities in a very difficult financial position. Hiring a private engineering firm is expensive and cost-prohibitive for many small communities.

On the one hand, if the community decides that it's too expensive to get a second opinion, homeowners are forced to pay higher, or in some cases, needless flood insurance premiums.

On the other hand, if the community does mount a successful challenge to the original FEMA map, homeowners are spared from having to pay the higher flood insurance premiums. But, the town must still pay the costs associated with obtaining that second map.

I've heard of many small communities that are forced into this tough situation, including the Town of Holliston in my district. There is substantial evidence to support the case that the FEMA flood map is inaccurate, but town officials are struggling to find a way to pay the estimated $30,000 it would cost to conduct a second engineering study.

I feel for these town officials. They want to do the right thing and help their residents, but these small towns are already cash-strapped and cutting funding left and right for essential services like teachers, cops and firefighters. There simply is no money for a legitimate but expensive second opinion map.

If FEMA makes a mistake in mapping a flood area, they should pay for it. Doing so would relieve towns like Holliston from the enormous burden of fixing a mistake they did not make and saving residents hundreds of dollars in unnecessary flood insurance premiums.

I urge my colleagues to support my amendment.

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Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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