The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which is set to expire on Sept. 30, would be reauthorized under two pieces of legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
S. 2788, which Sen. Cassidy cosponsored on Sept. 21 with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and four other Republican cosponsors, would temporarily reauthorize the NFIP until Dec. 3, according to the congressional record bill summary.
More than 5 million families and businesses depend on the program, including roughly 500,000 in Louisiana, according to information provided by Sen. Cassidy’s office.
“People in Louisiana need the National Flood Insurance Program to be there for them after a disaster,” Sen. Cassidy said on Tuesday. “Ida has shown us that we need to make sure NFIP is affordable to homeowners, accountable to taxpayers, and sustainable.”
Earlier this month, Sen. Cassidy also cosponsored the bipartisan NFIP Extension Act of 2021, S. 2724, which would extend the program for one full year to Sept. 30, 2022. The measure was introduced by sponsor U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) and three other cosponsors, including U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ).
“We cannot let flood insurance expire as Louisianans are dealing with flooding from Hurricane Ida,” said Sen. Cassidy on Sept. 13 after proposing S. 2724. “This extension ensures those who flood will have support to recover as we continue working to make NFIP more affordable and accessible.”