Congressional action dealing with FEMA and Flood Insurance

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February 15, 2011 Kent Sholars 202-225-6276
Walberg Introduces Legislation to Stop Costly Mandate on Homeowners

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-7) introduced a critical piece of leg...islation that would prevent the implementation of a costly new federal mandate on homeowners. The bill, HR 700, is entitled the Floodplain Maps Moratorium Act, and it is being introduced in response to local concerns about the burdensome mandate voiced by many constituents in the Seventh District.

When enacted, this bill would force the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to delay for five years the present requirement for homeowners located within a newly-drawn floodplain map to purchase costly flood insurance through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA has been remapping floodplains for the past eight years, and many new homeowners have been included in 100-year floodplain zones due to faulty mapping methods. Even worse, homeowners often have little recourse for reprieve without incurring additional costs.

After introducing the bill, Congressman Tim Walberg stated, “I heard directly from my constituents about the negative impact these FEMA floodplain maps would create on their pocketbooks, and I believe this is a true violation of the rights named in the Declaration of Independence- namely liberty & happiness, which was defined as property. So today, I am introducing legislation to stop this costly new federal mandate. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars to appeal a decision or be required to purchase costly flood insurance, this bill puts in place a commonsense approach to the creation of FEMA floodplain maps. I look forward to continuing to work with the affected communities and my colleagues in Congress to help make modifications to the maps that are reasonable and give property-owners more time to respond. The federal government is again over-reaching beyond what is appropriate, and this time it’s to the detriment of hard-working families during tough economic times.

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