Timely Payments for Flood Victims Act of 2016

Timely Payments for Flood Victims Act of 2016

This bill amends the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to require that a final determination and notification regarding approval of a claim for damage to or loss of property under the national flood insurance program be made by the expiration of the 30-day period after such claim was made. Such period may be extended by a single additional period of 15 days if extraordinary circumstances are demonstrated. Claims shall be paid as soon as possible after approval.

[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6104 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6104

To establish a deadline for approval of claims made under the National 
            Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 21, 2016

 Mr. Graves of Louisiana (for himself, Mr. Boustany, Mr. Richmond, and 
 Mr. Abraham) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a deadline for approval of claims made under the National 
            Flood Insurance Program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Timely Payments for Flood Victims 
Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. DEADLINE FOR APPROVAL OF CLAIMS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1312 of the National Flood Insurance Act 
of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4019) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``The Administrator'' 
        and inserting ``Subject to other provisions of this section, 
        the Administrator''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d) Deadline for Approval of Claims.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Administrator shall provide that, in 
        the case of any claim for damage to or loss of property under 
        flood insurance coverage made available under this title, a 
        final determination regarding approval of a claim for payment 
        or disapproval of the claim be made, and notification of such 
        determination be provided to the insured making such claim, not 
        later than the expiration of the 30-day period (as such period 
        may be extended pursuant to paragraph (2)) beginning upon the 
        day on which such claim was made. Payment of approved claims 
        shall be made as soon as possible after such approval.
            ``(2) Extension of deadline.--The Administrator shall 
        provide that the period referred to in paragraph (1) may be 
        extended by a single additional period of 15 days in cases 
        where extraordinary circumstances are demonstrated. The 
        Administrator shall, by regulation, establish criteria for 
        demonstrating such extraordinary circumstances and for 
        determining to which claims such extraordinary circumstances 
        apply.''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to any claim under flood insurance coverage made available under 
the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.) 
pending on the date of the enactment of this Act and any claims made 
after such date of enactment.
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