Memorandum
To: Big "I" Board of Directors; State Association Executives; Executive Committee; Government Affairs Committee
From: Charles E. Symington, Jr., IIABA Senior Vice President, Government Affairs
Date: Feb. 20, 2009
RE: National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
As many of you are aware, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is set to expire at midnight on March 6th unless Congress takes action to extend the program. The program faced a similar expiration last September, and Congress included a 6 month extension as part of their Continuing Resolution to fund the government until March 6, 2009. IIABA Government Affairs staff have been working to ensure that the NFIP is once again extended.
At this point it appears that the House and Senate have an informal agreement to extend the program as part of either their Omnibus Appropriations bill or another Continuing Resolution (whichever is used as the vehicle to fund the government for the remainder of this fiscal year). Both chambers would prefer to pass an Omnibus Appropriations bill and that effort is their top priority for next week. All indications are that a simple extension of the NFIP program through September 30th, 2009 will be included in this Omnibus Appropriations bill. We then expect the House and Senate to begin work yet again on a long term extension that includes major reform of the program.
We will share more details as they become available and please be sure to read next week’s IN&V for the latest information. In the meantime please don’t hesitate to contact John Prible at john.prible@iiaba.net with any questions that you may have on this issue.
Thanks,
Charles