Pennsylvania HB 1282: An Act imposing a duty on municipal corporations to provide notification to property owners of changes to special flood hazard area maps of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1450 PRINTER'S NO. 1715
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1282
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY T. DAVIS, HILL-EVANS, POWELL, GIRAL, KHAN, PIELLI,
McNEILL, JAMES, M. MACKENZIE, ZIMMERMAN, NEILSON, CEPEDA-
FREYTIZ, CERRATO, GUENST, PROBST, SANCHEZ, DALEY, HADDOCK,
STEELE, WARREN, DEASY, SHUSTERMAN, CIRESI AND GREEN,
APRIL 22, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MAY 14, 2025
AN ACT
Imposing a duty on municipal corporations to provide
notification to property owners of changes to special flood
hazard area maps of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Flood Hazard
Notification Act.
Section 2. Notification to affected property owners.
(a) Duty of municipal corporation.--A municipal corporation,
within 90 45 days of receipt of notification from the Federal
Emergency Management Agency that indicates a change in a
preliminary special flood hazard area map relating to real
property used for residential, commercial, mixed-use,
industrial, special purpose or agricultural purposes within the
municipal corporation, shall provide to each owner of the
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property:
(1) written notification that the change has occurred
within the municipal corporation;
(2) written notification of the name and contact
information of the appointed floodplain administrator for the
municipal corporation; and
(3) written notification of the Internet website,
address and telephone number for the National Flood Insurance
Program to aid the property owner in determining if there has
been a change to the flood risk of the property.; AND
(4) WRITTEN NOTIFICATION OF THE 90-DAY APPEAL AND
COMMENT PERIODS PROVIDED UNDER 44 CFR PT. 67 (RELATING TO
APPEALS FROM PROPOSED FLOOD ELEVATION DETERMINATIONS), AS
WELL AS THE DATE ON WHICH THE APPEAL AND COMMENT PERIODS WILL
TERMINATE.
(b) Duty of county.--A county shall, within 90 45 days of
being informed by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
of a change in a final special flood hazard area map of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency relating to real property
used for residential, commercial, mixed-use, industrial, special
purpose or agricultural purposes within the county, provide to
each owner of the property written notification that the change
has occurred. AND THE FOLLOWING DISCLOSURE:
PLEASE READ: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON FLOOD INSURANCE.
MANY PROPERTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA ARE EXPERIENCING
INCREASED FLOOD RISKS. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO VISIT THE
PENNSYLVANIA INSURANCE DEPARTMENT'S PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE
INTERNET WEBSITE TO REVIEW THESE RISKS. A STANDARD
HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE POLICY TYPICALLY DOES NOT COVER
DAMAGE CAUSED BY FLOODING. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO SPEAK
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WITH AN INSURANCE PROFESSIONAL ABOUT EXAMINING YOUR
HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE POLICY TO DETERMINE WHETHER YOU ARE
COVERED FOR DAMAGE CAUSED BY FLOODING. IF YOU ARE NOT
COVERED, COVERAGE MAY BE AVAILABLE FROM AN INSURANCE
COMPANY OR THROUGH THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM.
(C) STANDARDIZED NOTIFICATION.--THE INSURANCE DEPARTMENT
SHALL DEVELOP AND MAKE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE A STANDARDIZED
TEMPLATE NOTIFICATION FORM THAT MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS MAY
UTILIZE AT THEIR DISCRETION IN PROVIDING NOTIFICATION UNDER
SUBSECTION (A).
(c) (D) Form of notice.--Notice sent by first class mail to
the last known address of the owner as shown on the current real
estate tax assessment record shall be deemed adequate compliance
with the duty to provide notification under subsections (a) and
(b).
(d) Municipal immunity.--A municipal corporation or county
may
(E) MUNICIPAL IMMUNITY.--
(1) A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OR COUNTY SHALL not be
liable for the failure of a property owner to receive or act
on written notification under subsection (a) or (b) as a
result of a disruption of service or the failure to deliver
the notification on the part of the United States Postal
Service.
(2) A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OR COUNTY SHALL NOT BE
LIABLE FOR THE FAILURE OF A PROPERTY OWNER TO ACT ON WRITTEN
NOTIFICATION UNDER SUBSECTION (A) OR (B).
Section 3. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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