Co-Sponsorship Memo Details

In the near future, I plan to reintroduce legislation regarding a flood insurance premium assistance program. Flooding, and the tremendous amount of money it costs the Commonwealth due to the lack of flood insurance participation, is a huge policy issue. Pennsylvania is the most flood prone state in the nation, yet the majority of its homeowners and businesses are uninsured. This has created a situation where the majority of flood victims in the Commonwealth suffer economic damages that cannot be addressed by a state disaster assistance fund, and in more than half of all floods, does not qualify for Federal aid.
 
This situation has left homeowners and businesses financially distraught, as their only options for assistance are either ad hoc state programs that are many times insufficient or, in rare instance, Federal aid which is most times in the form of a loan. Furthermore, a substantial amount of taxpayer funding is being spent to cover the losses of the uninsured, as Federal assistance is taxpayer funded, as are the state programs.
 
To address this costly situation, my legislation will create a program that will assist eligible Pennsylvanians with 15% of their flood insurance premium, as a way to encourage the purchase of flood insurance. The language of the bill is flexible to allow the Insurance Department and FEMA to work out an agreeable process to administer the program, and has the potential to greatly increase the number of Pennsylvanians who proactively protect themselves with flood insurance.