119-hr4774

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4774 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4774

To ensure that certain assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
 Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is available for flood-damaged 
 basements, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 July 25, 2025

 Ms. Tlaib (for herself, Ms. Brown, Ms. Pressley, Ms. Balint, Ms. 
 Barragan, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. Deluzio, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
Fields, Mr. Figures, Mr. Garcia of Illinois, Mrs. McIver, Ms. Meng, Mr. 
 Mfume, Mr. Moskowitz, Ms. Norton, Ms. Scanlon, Mr. Scott of Virginia, 
Ms. Sewell, and Mr. Thanedar) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in 
 addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
 of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
 concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To ensure that certain assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
 Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is available for flood-damaged 
 basements, and for other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Fix Our Flooded Basements Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR FLOOD-DAMAGED BASEMENTS.

    (a) Repairs.--In providing assistance for repairs to flood-damaged 
basements under 

section 408
            (c) (2) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174
            (c) (2) ), the 
Administrator--

    (1) may not limit such assistance to rooms required for the 
 occupancy of the dwelling; and

    (2) may provide assistance for any mold, mildew, and 
 moisture damage caused by a major disaster and may not limit 
 such assistance to only mold, mildew, or moisture damage that--
        (A) may cause additional loss; or
        (B) affects the safety, sanitation, and 
 functionality of the home.

    (b) Personal Property Assistance.--In providing assistance for 
personal property expenses under 

section 408

    (e)

    (2) of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 
5174

    (e)

    (2) ), the Administrator shall provide assistance--

    (1) to cover the cost of personal property in a manner that 
 is at least equivalent to the coverage provided under the 
 Standard Flood Insurance Policy for building property and 
 personal property located below the lowest floor of a building, 
 including basements (as defined in 

section 59.1 of title 44, 
 Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulations); and

    (2) to cover the costs of repair or replacement of all 
 building and personal property located in a flood-damaged 
 basement that is damaged by a major disaster.
            (c) Group Flood Insurance 

=== Policy ===
-Not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall revise 
sections 61.17 and 206.119

    (b)

    (9) of title 44, Code of Federal 
Regulations, to make the following changes:

    (1) Permit applicants who had a previous requirement to 
 maintain flood insurance as a condition of receiving assistance 
 under 

section 408 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
 Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) to be eligible for 
 the Group Flood Insurance Policy.

    (2) Permit applicants residing outside a special flood 
 hazard area to be eligible for the Group Flood Insurance 
 Policy.

    (3) Expand the coverage under the Group Flood Insurance 
 Policy to be at least equivalent to the maximum coverage 
 available in the Standard Flood Insurance Policy.

    (4) Expand the Group Flood Insurance Policy to include 
 coverage for the following:
        (A) Real and personal property components and 
 contents in basements, including repairs to address 
 water damage, appliances, flooring and carpet repairs, 
 and any other items necessary to return the basement to 
 its previous pre-flood condition.
        (B) Any real and personal property components and 
 contents in basements covered under the additional 
 endorsement for basement coverage for the Standard 
 Flood Insurance Policy, as described in the proposed 
 rule titled ``National Flood Insurance Program: 
 Standard Flood Insurance Policy, Homeowner Flood Form'' 
 and issued by the Administrator on February 6, 2024 (89 
 Fed. Reg. 8282).
            (C) Mold, mildew, and moisture damage in basements.
            (d) Maximum Amount of Financial Assistance.--

Section 408

    (h) of the 
Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 
U.S.C. 5174

    (h) ) is amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (5) Exclusion of mitigation measures.--The maximum amount 
 of assistance established under paragraph

    (1) shall exclude 
 expenses for eligible hazard mitigation measures in flood-
 damaged basements under subsection
            (c) (2)
        (A)
            (ii) .
 ``

    (6) Exclusion of group flood insurance policy premiums.--
 The maximum amount of assistance established under paragraph

    (1) shall exclude expenses for premiums for the Group Flood 
 Insurance Policy pursuant to subsection

    (e)

    (2) .''.

    (e) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
 Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

    (2) Group flood insurance 

=== policy ===
-The term ``Group Flood 
 Insurance Policy'' means the group flood insurance policy 
 established by the Administrator under 

section 61.17 of title 
 44, Code of Federal Regulations.

    (3) Standard flood insurance 

=== policy ===
-The term ``Standard 
 Flood Insurance Policy'' means the standard flood insurance 
 policy under the national flood insurance program established 
 pursuant to the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
 4001 et seq.).
 <all>