Keeping Homeownership Costs Down Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 3800
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Finance and Financial Sector
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-06-06: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- Last Updated
- 2025-06-26T14:12:45Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The "Keeping Homeownership Costs Down Act" (H.R. 3800) aims to prevent delays in updating official flood maps when property owners add soil or dirt (known as "fill") to raise their land above flood levels. This could help reduce flood insurance premiums for homeowners by quickly removing properties from high-risk flood zones on government maps.
Key Provisions
- Prohibition on Deferrals: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator is barred from delaying the issuance of:
- Letters of map revision (LOMR), which are official updates to flood maps based on fill placement.
- Conditional letters of map revision (CLOMR), which approve proposed fill projects before they are completed.
- Rule of Construction: This prohibition does not interfere with FEMA's standard process for reviewing, deciding on, or issuing these letters.
- Sunset Clause: The new rule automatically expires once FEMA fully complies with specific environmental requirements under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. These requirements stem from biological opinions issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regarding flood map updates involving fill.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends Section 1360 of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 by adding a new subsection (k).
- Introduces a temporary ban on deferrals, which were previously allowed, potentially due to environmental reviews under the Endangered Species Act.
- The change is explicitly temporary, tying its end to FEMA's implementation of Endangered Species Act protections for wildlife affected by fill projects.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: FEMA must process map revision requests more promptly, which could streamline operations but increase workload until environmental compliance is achieved. It may also reduce conflicts between flood insurance rules and wildlife protections.
- On Citizens: Homeowners in flood-prone areas could see faster reductions in insurance costs (potentially thousands of dollars annually) by elevating land and updating maps quickly, making homeownership more affordable. However, this might encourage more development in sensitive areas if environmental safeguards are not fully in place.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic flood insurance and environmental policies.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Homeowners and Property Owners: Primary beneficiaries, especially in flood-risk zones, as they can more easily lower insurance costs through fill-based map updates.
- FEMA and Federal Agencies: FEMA faces restrictions on delays; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provide input on environmental compliance.
- Insurance Industry and Lenders: Could see reduced premiums and fewer disputes over flood zone designations, affecting mortgage requirements.
- Environmental Groups: Potentially concerned about accelerated development impacting endangered species habitats until the sunset clause activates.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Reinforces the National Flood Insurance Program's efficiency while mandating coordination with the Endangered Species Act, ensuring environmental reviews continue without halting map processes. The temporary nature avoids long-term overrides of wildlife protections.
- Constitutional: No direct challenges, but it balances federal property rights (affordable insurance) with environmental duties under existing laws.
- Political: Highlights tensions between economic relief for homeowners (e.g., in flood-vulnerable states) and ecological conservation, with bipartisan sponsorship suggesting broad appeal for affordability measures. The repeal mechanism promotes accountability to environmental standards.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7], Rep. Kim, Young [R-CA-40], Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32]
Recent Actions
- 2025-06-06: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
- 2025-06-06: Introduced in House
- 2025-06-06: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Keeping Homeownership Costs Down Act — issued 2025-06-06 — PDF (3 pages)