Flood insurance policyholders would receive faster and more accurate advance payments on their claims under legislation sponsored on Oct. 26 by U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY).
“Long Islanders are no strangers to flooding,” Rep. Garbarino said. “When dealing with structural damage or property loss, homeowners can’t afford to sit around waiting to begin recovering after a storm.”
The Emergency Advance Payments Modernization Act, H.R. 6082, would create a pilot program centered on the use of data collected by remote sensing technology to enhance the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP’s) use of advance payments, according to a bill summary provided by the congressman’s staff.
Specifically, the pilot program would direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to explore using this data to provide more precise pre-inspection payout thresholds for delivering funds to affected NFIP policyholders following a flood event, increase how quickly payments are delivered to policyholders, and to enhance the claims process under the NFIP, the summary says.
“As we approach the anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, I introduced the Emergency Advance Payments Modernization Act to ensure Long Island families can quickly receive advance payments for flood insurance claims in the wake of natural disasters,” said Rep. Garbarino.
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced a companion bill in the Senate.