Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
In response to complaints from Massachusetts homeowners and business about dramatic and unaffordable increases in flood insurance premiums, the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation sent a letter to House and Senate leadership last week calling for a delay in implementing portions of the Biggert-Waters National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012.
The lawmakers ask that the fiscal 2014 federal budget include adequate funding for the National Academy of Sciences to complete the affordability study mandated by the Biggert-Waters law. They also call for a delay in the immediate premium rate increases required by the legislation for small businesses and for sales of residential properties in order for any recommendations that result from the NAS study to be incorporated into future planning.
“While we support the overall goals of this legislation, we are concerned that if it is fully implemented absent additional measures, some residents and small businesses located in Massachusetts may be faced with economically devastating impacts,” the lawmakers wrote. “Reports from residents and businesses in Massachusetts have described the potential for dramatic and completely unaffordable flood insurance premium increases as [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] has moved forward to implement the law.”
The delegation asked that additional steps be taken, including a legislative remedy for any affordability challenges that flood insurance premium increases might pose to home and business owners; flood maps that are accurate and reflect the input of affected communities; and improved outreach by FEMA to affected communities of their status under any new flood maps that are developed, including the opportunity for residents to dispute any changes.
The letter was initiated by Sen. Edward J. Markey and was signed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, Michael Capuano, Stephen Lynch, John Tierney, Niki Tsongas, Bill Keating and Joe Kennedy.