The FIRM IT Act updates how the government creates flood insurance maps that determine how much people pay for flood insurance. Right now, FEMA makes these maps mostly on its own, but this bill requires them to team up with other government agencies—the Department of Defense, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—to get better information about flood risks. This means the maps could include more accurate data about water levels, terrain, and other factors that affect flooding. The bill also allows FEMA to add detailed property survey information to these maps and requires them to use modern digital mapping standards so the information is easier to access and use. Essentially, this is about making flood insurance rate maps more accurate and up-to-date by pooling expertise from multiple agencies and using better technology, which could help homeowners and communities get more precise information about their actual flood risk and potentially fairer insurance rates.

FIRM IT Act of 2024

Rubio, Marco

Flood Insurance Rate Map Interagency Technology Act of 2024 or the FIRM IT Act of 2024 This bill modifies technical requirements for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) rate maps, which are&nbsp;community maps delineating flood hazard areas, flood elevations, and flood risk zones that determine flood insurance rates. Specifically, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must consult with the Department of Defense, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to obtain information relevant to rate maps. FEMA may include this data, as well as specified property survey information, in NFIP rate maps. The format of NFIP rate maps must conform to specified geospatial data and protocols.