HR5961-119

What This Bill Does

The Flood Insurance for Farmers Act of 2025 amends the National Flood Insurance Act for agricultural and multi-structure properties. First, it lets State or local floodplain authorities grant variances from elevation or floodproofing requirements for agricultural structures in special flood hazard areas when neither elevation nor floodproofing is practicable and the structure is not in especially risky locations such as regulatory floodways, areas riverward of levees, or high-velocity wave areas. Existing agricultural structures can also qualify after substantial damage or improvement if specified safety findings are made. FEMA may not suspend or place a community on probation in the National Flood Insurance Program just because the community's land-use rules allow these agricultural variances. The bill also addresses premiums for structures receiving such variances and allows the FEMA Administrator to offer one optional umbrella policy for insureds or applicants with multiple structures on the same commercial, residential, multifamily rental, or agricultural property, so long as the coverage is optional and priced at no less than estimated premium rates. FEMA must report to Congress within five years on implementation of the umbrella policy authority.

Who Benefits and How

Farmers and agricultural property owners benefit because qualifying agricultural structures can receive variances when elevation or floodproofing is impracticable. Communities participating in the National Flood Insurance Program benefit because FEMA cannot suspend or probation them solely for allowing compliant agricultural-structure variances. Owners of commercial, residential, multifamily rental, and agricultural properties with multiple structures benefit because FEMA may offer one optional umbrella flood policy. Agricultural producers in flood-prone areas benefit if insurance rules better fit barns, sheds, and other agricultural structures that are hard to elevate or floodproof.

Who Bears the Burden and How

State and local zoning or floodplain officials must make practicability, safety, floodway, public-expense, nuisance, fraud, and prior-claim findings before granting variances. FEMA and NFIP administrators must adjust community-compliance rules, premium treatment, optional umbrella policy offerings, and the five-year implementation report. Property owners seeking variances must satisfy statutory conditions and may face actuarially based premiums for nonstandard coverage. Congressional oversight staff must review FEMA's implementation report on umbrella policies.

Key Provisions

• Amends NFIP land-use rules to allow agricultural-structure variances from elevation or floodproofing requirements.
• Prohibits FEMA from suspending or placing a community on probation solely because it allows compliant agricultural variances.
• Requires local officials to make safety and practicability findings before a variance is granted.
• Provides premium treatment for structures receiving agricultural variances.
• Authorizes optional umbrella flood policies for properties with multiple structures.
• Requires FEMA to report to Congress within five years on umbrella policy implementation.