117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5556


To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide a disclosure notice to homebuyers of properties owned by the Department of Housing and Urban Development that are located in special flood hazard areas, and for other purposes.


IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 12, 2021

Mr. Diaz-Balart (for himself, Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida, Mr. Waltz, Mrs. Murphy of Florida, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Lawson of Florida, Mr. Garbarino, Mrs. Hinson, Mrs. Demings, and Ms. Salazar) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services


A BILL

To require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide a disclosure notice to homebuyers of properties owned by the Department of Housing and Urban Development that are located in special flood hazard areas, 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    Flood Risk Transparency for Homebuyers Act   .

SEC. 2. Definitions.

In this Act:

(1) ADMINISTRATOR.   The term    Administrator    means the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

(2) COVERED PROPERTY.   The term    covered property    means a 1-to-4 unit residential property   

(A) acquired by the Department as a result of a foreclosure action on a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration under title II of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1707 et seq.); and

(B) located in a special flood hazard area according to a flood hazard boundary map or flood insurance rate map issued by the Administration.

(3) DEPARTMENT.   The term    Department    means the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

(4) NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM.   The term    National Flood Insurance Program    means the program established under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.).

(5) SECRETARY.   The term    Secretary    means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

(6) SEVERE REPETITIVE LOSS PROPERTY.   The term    severe repetitive loss property    has the meaning given the term in section 1307(h) of the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4014(h)).

SEC. 3. Requirement to provide disclosure to homebuyers of properties located in special flood hazard areas.

(a) In general.   When listing a covered property for sale by the Department, the Secretary shall provide a disclosure notice that includes   

(1) the estimated monthly cost of insurance for the covered property under the National Flood Insurance Program for the zip code in which the covered property is located; and

(2) whether the covered property is a severe repetitive loss property.

(b) Annual report.   Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary and the Administrator shall submit to Congress a joint report on covered properties sold by the Department for which claims were filed under the National Flood Insurance Program during the year covered by the report, including whether the covered property is a severe repetitive loss property.