This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would fund the government through March 11, 2022. The legislation would also reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for the same period.

The U.S. Senate is expected to take up the legislation in the coming days, which is needed to avoid a government shutdown and a lapse in the NFIP. The NFIP is currently scheduled to expire on Friday, Feb. 18, the same date government funding is scheduled to run out. The expected passage of this short-term federal government funding legislation until mid-March is meant to give federal policymakers more time to complete negotiation on an agreement to fund the federal government to the end of 2022. 

Although there is widespread agreement that a long-term reauthorization of a reformed NFIP is needed, allowing the program to lapse would be devastating to policyholders across the nation who are still being impacted by COVID-19 and have faced an increasing number of severe flooding events in recent years.

The first priority for the Big “I" is to avoid a lapse in the program. In the meantime, the association looks forward to continuing to work with Congress and the administration to enact a long-term reauthorization of a modernized program that would increase take-up rates for flood insurance, both in the NFIP and in the private market.

Wyatt Stewart is Big “I" assistant vice president of federal government affairs.