§ 4015 — Chargeable Premium Rates

(a) On the basis of estimates made under section 4014 of this title, and such other information as may be necessary, the Administrator shall from time to time prescribe, after providing notice— (1) chargeable premium rates for any types and classes of properties for which insurance coverage shall be available under section 4012 of this title (at less than the estimated risk premium rates under section 4014(a)(1) of this title, where necessary), and (2) the terms and conditions under which, and the areas (including subdivisions thereof) within which, such rates shall apply. (b) Such rates shall, insofar as practicable, be— (1) based on a consideration of the respective risks involved, including differences in risks due to land use measures, flood-proofing, flood forecasting, and similar measures; (2) adequate, on the basis of accepted actuarial principles, to provide reserves for anticipated losses, or, if less than such amount, consistent with the objective of making flood insurance available where necessary at reasonable rates so as to encourage prospective insureds to purchase such insurance and with the purposes of this chapter; (3) adequate, together with the fee under paragraph (1)(B)(iii) or (2) of section 4014(a) of this title, to provide for any administrative expenses of the flood insurance and floodplain management programs (including the costs of mapping activities under section 4101 of this title); (4) stated so as to reflect the basis for such rates, including the differences (if any) between the estimated risk premium rates under section 4014(a)(1) of this title and the estimated rates under section 4014(a)(2) of this title; and (5) adequate, on the basis of accepted actuarial principles, to cover the average historical loss year obligations incurred by the National Flood Insurance Fund. (c) Subject only to the limitations provided under paragraphs (1) and (2), the chargeable rate shall not be less than the applicable estimated risk premium rate for such area (or subdivision thereof) under section 4014(a)(1) of this title with respect to the following properties: (1) Any property the construction or substantial improvement of which the Administrator determines has been started after December 31, 1974, or started after the effective date of the initial rate map published by the Administrator under paragraph (2) of section 4101 of this title for the area in which such property is located, whichever is later, except that the chargeable rate for properties under this paragraph shall be subject to the limitation under subsection (e). (2) Any property leased from the Federal Government (including residential and nonresidential properties) that the Administrator determines is located on the river-facing side of any dike, levee, or other riverine flood control structure, or seaward of any seawall or other coastal flood control structure. (d) With respect to any chargeable premium rate prescribed under this section, a sum equal to the portion of the rate that covers any administrative expenses of carrying out the flood insurance and floodplain management programs which have been estimated under paragraphs (1)(B)(ii) and (1)(B)(iii) of section 4014(a) of this title or paragraph (2) of such section (including the fees under such paragraphs), shall be paid to the Administrator. The Administrator shall deposit the sum in the National Flood Insurance Fund established under section 4017 of this title. (e) Except with respect to properties described under paragraph (2) of subsection (c), and notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter— (1) the chargeable risk premium rate for flood insurance under this chapter for any property may not be increased by more than 18 percent each year, except— (A) as provided in paragraph (4); (B) in the case of property identified under section 4014(g) of this title; or (C) in the case of a property that— (i) is located in a community that has experienced a rating downgrade under the community rating system program carried out under section 4022(b) of this title; (ii) is covered by a policy with respect to which the policyholder has— (I) decreased the amount of the deductible; or (II) increased the amount of coverage; or (iii) was misrated; (2) the chargeable risk premium rates for flood insurance under this chapter for any properties initially rated under section 4014(a)(2) of this title within any single risk classification, excluding properties for which the chargeable risk premium rate is not less than the applicable estimated risk premium rate under section 4014(a)(1) of this title, shall be increased by an amount that results in an average of such rate increases for properties within the risk classification during any 12-month period of not less than 5 percent of the average of the risk premium rates for such properties within the risk classification upon the commencement of such 12-month period; (3) the chargeable risk premium rates for flood insurance under this chapter for any properties within any single risk classification may not be increased by an amount that would result in the average of such rate increases for properties within the risk classification during any 12-month period exceeding 15 percent of the average of the risk premium rates for properties within the risk classification upon the commencement of such 12-month period; and (4) the chargeable risk premium rates for flood insurance under this chapter for any properties described in subparagraphs (A) through (E) of section 4014(a)(2) of this title shall be increased by 25 percent each year, until the average risk premium rate for such properties is equal to the average of the risk premium rates for properties described under paragraph (3). (f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if the Administrator determines that the holder of a flood insurance policy issued under this chapter is paying a lower premium than is required under this section due to an error in the flood plain determination, the Administrator may only prospectively charge the higher premium rate. (g) With respect to any chargeable premium rate prescribed under this section, the Administrator shall provide policyholders that are not required to escrow their premiums and fees for flood insurance as set forth under section 4012a of this title with the option of paying their premiums annually or monthly. (h) For purposes of this section, the calculation of an “average historical loss year”— (1) includes catastrophic loss years; and (2) shall be computed in accordance with generally accepted actuarial principles. (i) Notwithstanding subsection (f), the premium rate for flood insurance under this chapter that is purchased on or after March 21, 2014— (1) on a property located in an area not previously designated as having special flood hazards and that, pursuant to any issuance, revision, updating, or other change in a flood insurance map, becomes designated as such an area; and (2) where such flood insurance premium rate is calculated under subsection (a)(1) of section 4014 of this title, (j) In setting premium risk rates, in addition to striving to achieve the objectives of this chapter the Administrator shall also strive to minimize the number of policies with annual premiums that exceed one percent of the total coverage provided by the policy. For any policies premiums that exceed this one percent threshold, the Administrator shall report such exceptions to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate. (k) In calculating the risk premium rate charged for flood insurance for a property under this section, the Administrator shall take into account the implementation of any mitigation method identified by the Administrator in the guidance issued under section 4102(d) of this title. (l) The Administrator shall clearly communicate full flood risk determinations to individual property owners regardless of whether their premium rates are full actuarial rates. (1) and semiannually thereafter, the Administrator shall monitor and report to Committee on Financial Services of the House Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate, the Administrator’s assessment of the impact, if any, of the rate increases required under subparagraphs (A) and (D) of section 4014(a)(2) of this title and the surcharges required under section 4015a of this title on the affordability of flood insurance for— (A) small businesses with less than 100 employees; (B) non-profit entities; (C) houses of worship; and (D) residences with a value equal to or less than 25 percent of the median home value of properties in the State in which the property is located. (2) If the Administrator determines that the rate increases or surcharges described in paragraph (1) are having a detrimental effect on affordability, including resulting in lapsed policies, late payments, or other criteria related to affordability as identified by the Administrator, for any of the properties identified in subparagraphs (A) through (D) of such paragraph, the Administrator shall, not later than 3 months after making such a determination, make such recommendations as the Administrator considers appropriate to improve affordability to the Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.