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PRINTER'S NO. 306
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
328
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY WARREN, STRUZZI, MURT, HILL-EVANS, KORTZ, READSHAW
AND DeLUCA, FEBRUARY 1, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INSURANCE, FEBRUARY 1, 2019
AN ACT
Establishing the Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Flood
Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force Act.
Section 2. Findings.
The General Assembly finds that:
(1) Many communities within this Commonwealth have faced
devastating floods in recent years.
(2) The Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of
2012 (Public Law 112-141, 126 Stat. 916), which amended the
National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-448, 42
U.S.C. ยงยง 2414(e) and 4001 et seq.), has caused steep
increases in flood insurance premiums to pay for increased
spending in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA)
flood disaster assistance program.
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(3) In the past several years, FEMA has revised its
flood mapping to include many properties that previously did
not require flood insurance.
(4) Whole communities along Pennsylvania's rivers and
creeks could be devastated by plummeting property values due
to unaffordable flood insurance premiums.
Section 3. Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force.
(a) Establishment.--The Flood Insurance Premium Assistance
Task Force is established.
(b) Membership.--The task force shall consist of the
following members, appointed within 25 days after the effective
date of this section:
(1) One member appointed by the Governor, who shall
serve as the chair of the task force.
(2) One member appointed by the Lieutenant Governor.
(3) One member appointed by the Director of the
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
(4) One member appointed by the Insurance Commissioner.
(5) One member appointed by the Secretary of Banking and
Securities.
(6) One member appointed by the Majority Leader of the
Senate.
(7) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
Senate.
(8) One member appointed by the Majority Leader of the
House of Representatives.
(9) One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
House of Representatives.
(c) Conducting of business.--The task force shall conduct
its business as follows:
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(1) The physical presence of a majority of the members
shall constitute a quorum of the task force.
(2) Action of the task force must be authorized or
ratified by a majority vote of its members.
(3) A member not physically present may participate by
teleconference or video conference.
(i) The first meeting shall be convened within 45
days of the effective date of this section. Additional
meetings may be called by the chair as necessary.
(ii) The chair shall schedule a meeting upon written
request of a two-thirds majority of the members of the
task force.
(iii) The task force shall hold public hearings as
necessary to obtain the information required to conduct
its review.
(iv) The Department of Community and Economic
Development, the Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources, the Department of Environmental Protection and
the Insurance Department shall cooperate to provide
administrative or other assistance to the task force.
(v) Members may not receive compensation but shall
be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses
incurred in service of the task force.
(d) Powers and duties.--The task force shall have the
following powers and duties:
(1) To review and analyze the law, procedures,
practices, processes and rules relating to the administration
of flood insurance.
(2) To hold public hearings for the taking of testimony
and the requesting of documents.
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(3) Through its chair, to administer oaths and
affirmations to witnesses appearing before the task force.
(4) To accept and review written comments from
individuals and organizations.
(5) To make, by no later than six months after the
effective date of this act, a final report to the Governor,
the Senate and the House of Representatives. In addition to
any information that the task force deems appropriate, the
report shall include recommendations regarding:
(i) potential programs that provide premium
discounts;
(ii) potential programs, whether through the
mechanism of premium discounts or other relief, that
create incentives for local governments to undertake or
continue flood mitigation efforts; and
(iii) the implementation of necessary changes in
State statutes and practices, policies and procedures
relating to the administration of flood insurance.
(e) Report.--The report made under this act shall be:
(1) Adopted at a public meeting.
(2) A public record under the act of February 14, 2008
(P.L.6, No.3), known as the Right-to-Know Law.
(f) Expiration.--The task force shall expire 30 days after
making the final report to the Governor, the Senate and the
House of Representatives under subsection (d)(5).
Section 4. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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