NFIP Extended as Part of Government Funding Bill

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was reauthorized for an additional month on November 21, 2019, the day it was set to expire. The program is now funded until December 20, 2019.

The extension was included in a larger government funding bill that will keep the government operational until a longer-term funding agreement can be made in Congress. The bill was presented to and signed by President Trump on November 21, 2019.

Several bills that would extend the NFIP for a longer period and introduce reforms to the program have been proposed by members of Congress. Members of the insurance industry have spoken out in support of a long-term extension of the NFIP, as some proposed bills would extend it for several years, but none have yet passed both chambers.

Despite the program undergoing multiple short-term extensions over the past two years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) notes that it has never failed to honor insurance contracts in place with NFIP policyholders. In the event that the NFIP lapses, FEMA would still have authority to ensure that claims are paid, though new and renewal policies would not be sold until the NFIP was re-funded.