Breaking political lines, two U.S. Congressmen — one Democrat from Louisiana and one Republican from Mississippi — are joining forces to bring the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) back to life.
In a move to protect homeowners left in limbo, Congressmen Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) and Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) have unveiled H.R. 5848 — the NFIP Retroactive Renewal and Reauthorization Act — a bipartisan proposal to keep the flood insurance program running through 2026 and reinstate coverage for those who lost it during the government shutdown.
When the government shut down on October 1, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) ground to a halt — no new policies, no renewals, and millions left waiting.
By the end of October, the 30-day grace period to renew flood insurance had run out for some homeowners — putting them at risk of higher rates and tougher assessments, Carter cautioned.
If Congress fails to pass a retroactive reauthorization, new or renewed flood insurance policies won’t take effect until the program is officially reinstated — leaving policyholders vulnerable to uninsured flood losses in the meantime.
“The lapse of the National Flood Insurance Program isn’t a partisan problem — it’s a people problem,” said Carter. “Families shouldn’t lose their coverage or face higher premiums because of political gridlock.”
The congressmen warned that flood insurance premiums could rise sharply if Congress does not approve a retroactive reauthorization.
FEMA’s Risk Rating 2.0 lets current policyholders ease into full-risk rates over time — but for anyone whose policy lapsed, those higher rates hit immediately once coverage is restored, Carter and Ezell’s offices say.
“This lapse now threatens the premium increase glidepath guaranteed to legacy NFIP policyholders who have played by the rules,” said Michael Hecht, president & CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc., on behalf of the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance (CSFI). “Our analysis of FEMA data shows that NFIP premiums under Risk Rating 2.0 are rising by over 100% on average and by at least 50% in 41 states.”
