House Committee Advances Flood Insurance Reauthorization, Other Housing-Related Bills

The House Financial Services Committee recently advanced a series of housing-related measures, including bills to reauthorize and reform the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and block HUD from implementing proposed rules that would bar families with mixed immigration status from housing assistance and alter HUD’s Equal Access Rule.

The Committee unanimously passed legislation (the National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2019, H.R. 3167) to reauthorize the NFIP for five years through fiscal year (FY) 2024. The bill, which represents a compromise between Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Ranking Member Patrick McHenry (R-NC), makes several amendments to NFIP, including changes by Waters to make flood insurance more affordable for low- and moderate-income households.

Specifically, H.R. 3167 creates a demonstration program to provide financial assistance to low-income policyholders, repeals certain program surcharges, and allows policyholders to make monthly instead of annual payments.

The House Financial Services Committee also advanced via party-line vote the Keeping Families Together Act of 2019, H.R. 2763, introduced by Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX). The bill would prohibit HUD from implementing a proposed rule that would terminate housing assistance for families with mixed immigration status. In addition, the committee advanced via party-line vote the Ensuring Equal Access to Shelter Act of 2019, H.R.3018, introduced by Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), to block HUD from implementing a proposed rule that allows shelter providers to deny transgender and gender non-conforming people equal access to homeless shelters, altering HUD’s Equal Access Rule.

Floor consideration of these bills has not yet been considered.