Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, representing Louisiana, addressed the Senate floor to advocate for a two-year extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The program is set to expire on March 14, 2025. Cassidy emphasized the need for stability for families in Louisiana and urged Congress to act swiftly to extend NFIP before its expiration.

“We must understand it’s not only government funding that expires on Friday. Authorizations for key programs like the NFIP are about to expire as well,” stated Dr. Cassidy during his speech.

He introduced legislation aiming to extend NFIP through December 31, 2026. This proposal follows a decade where Congress has passed 32 short-term extensions of the program.

“However, I am working to secure an even longer reauthorization so that NFIP is not thrown into legal purgatory every year—or even multiple times a year. Today, I introduced a bill to fully reauthorize NFIP for this year and next year,” concluded Dr. Cassidy.

Cassidy has been actively involved in addressing issues related to flood insurance premiums. In February, he proposed the Flood Insurance Affordability Tax Credit Act, which would provide a 33% refundable tax credit for low- and middle-income households enrolled in NFIP.

In previous efforts, Cassidy highlighted challenges faced by homeowners due to FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 system, which has led to increased premiums nationwide. He argued that without intervention, many policyholders might drop their coverage due to unaffordable costs.

The senator also referenced past discussions with community leaders and advocates regarding flood insurance issues in Louisiana and other affected states.

"We need to make flood insurance affordable again—and I will keep working to do that—but first, let’s make sure it survives the weekend," he said as part of his closing remarks.

Cassidy's continued advocacy underscores his commitment to finding long-term solutions for those reliant on the National Flood Insurance Program across various states.