Saying he is taking a “shotgun approach” to bringing relief to flood victims, Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott (R) has introduced a bill (S. 1936) to enable people whose homes were not covered by flood insurance in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to retroactively buy into the federally-subsidized flood insurance program.  The bill is a companion to the measure introduced by Congressman Gene Taylor (D) of Mississippi in the U.S. House as the “Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita Flood Insurance Buy-In Act.”

Both versions of the bill would allow affected home and business owners whose properties didn’t lie in federally designated flood hazard zones to purchase coverage from the National Flood Insurance Program by making the equivalent of 10 years of premium payments, plus a five percent late penalty. Premium payments could be deducted from the property owner’s claim settlement.

“I would prefer that the insurance industry step up to the plate,” Lott said in a statement. “But I will pursue every avenue for those Mississippians who have lost their homes, who did not have flood insurance because they did not live in a flood plain, but who are being denied coverage by their insurance companies. I am taking the shotgun approach to the insurance question. I know there’s been a lot of debate about whether this is the absolute best solution, but we must pursue every potential way to bring Katrina’s victims more relief, including this one.”

Lott’s Press Release on S. 1936 (10/27/05) 

Full Text of S. 1936  

Full Text of PIA’s Comments to the Senate and House on NFIP (PDF)

November 1, 2005