Schock Offers and Passes Amendment to Help Delay New Flood Maps

Press Release

Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) successfully offered and passed an amendment to the Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2011, to delay the implementation of new FEMA imposed Flood Maps for five years. The underlying legislation delayed the new maps from taking affect for 3 years, arguing that wasn't enough time for small communities to raise the necessary funds and make levee improvements. Schock, worked with other Members of the Illinois delegation and the Chairman of the Financial Services Committee to offer an amendment to extend the delay for an additional two years. Beyond that, new Flood Insurance rates would be slowly phased in over an additional 5 year period.

During remarks on the House floor, Schock argued that the bipartisan amendment would "help to solve a critical problem in my district as well as many rural districts across the heartland. Flood insurance issues affects a vast number of small communities and especially those along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers."

Schock is a member of the Congressional Levee Caucus who worked across party lines to fight to ensure that the National Flood Insurance Program run by FEMA doesn't impose more unjust and impossible requirements on small towns and levee districts. He personally took that message to FEMA Director William Fugate about the problems facing communities like Beardstown and the Sid Simpson Levee District in complying with these new requirements. "FEMA's new requirements, that require many of these small towns to make necessary improvements in their upgrades of their levees and dams, require significant investment," said Schock. "House passage of this amendment gives these small communities vitally needed breathing space and a reasonable amount of time to come up with relatively huge investments in levee upgrades." Schock was successful in getting an 18 month extension from when the PAL expired this past January to when the new maps would take effect.

Schock worked in a bi-partisan manner with Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) and Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL) to ensure that local communities are given adequate time to make any needed repairs to levee systems before a mandatory flood insurance purchase requirement is kicked into effect. It can take years for a small community to raise the funds and complete the work of levee repairs. Schock, Shimkus, and Costello brought this to the attention of Financial Services Chairman Spencer Bachus (R-AL), and he offered an amendment, that passed the House, to allow for an extension in the mandatory flood insurance purchase requirement from three years, to four and five. This will give small communities like Beardstown crucial extra time to make any necessary repairs.

"I have worked hand-in-hand with Aaron during this Congress to address the issues he has brought before the committee for reforming the National Flood Insurance Program. His active role has helped ensure this program is reformed in a way that shores up its fiscal soundness, and that the program works as it should to protect his communities along the Illinois River," said Congressman Spencer Bachus, Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services.

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