section_id,title_number,title_name,chapter,subchapter,part_number,part_name,subpart,subpart_name,section_number,section_heading,agency,authority,source_citation,amendment_citations,full_text
44:44:1.0.1.2.27.1.9.1,44,Emergency Management and Assistance,I,B,62,PART 62—SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS,A,Subpart A—Issuance of Policies,,§ 62.1 Purpose of part.,FEMA,,,,"The purpose of this part is to set forth the manner in which flood insurance under the Program is made available to the general public in those communities designated as eligible for the sale of insurance under part 64 of this subchapter, and to prescribe the general method by which the Federal Insurance Administrator exercises his/her responsibility regarding the manner in which claims for losses are paid."
44:44:1.0.1.2.27.1.9.2,44,Emergency Management and Assistance,I,B,62,PART 62—SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS,A,Subpart A—Issuance of Policies,,§ 62.2 Definitions.,FEMA,,,,The definitions set forth in part 59 of this subchapter are applicable to this part.
44:44:1.0.1.2.27.1.9.3,44,Emergency Management and Assistance,I,B,62,PART 62—SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS,A,Subpart A—Issuance of Policies,,§ 62.3 Servicing agent.,FEMA,,,"[85 FR 43985, July 20, 2020]","(a) Pursuant to sections 1345 and 1346 of the Act, the Federal Insurance Administrator may enter into an agreement with a servicing agent to authorize it to assist in issuing flood insurance policies under the Program in communities designated by the Federal Insurance Administrator and to accept responsibility for delivery of policies and payment of claims for losses as prescribed by and at the discretion of the Federal Insurance Administrator.

(b) The servicing agent will arrange for the issuance of flood insurance to any person qualifying for such coverage under parts 61 and 64 of this subchapter who submits an application to the servicing agent in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract between the Agency and the servicing agent."
44:44:1.0.1.2.27.1.9.4,44,Emergency Management and Assistance,I,B,62,PART 62—SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS,A,Subpart A—Issuance of Policies,,§ 62.4 Limitations on sale of policies.,FEMA,,,"[43 FR 2573, Jan. 17, 1978. Redesignated at 44 FR 31177, May 31, 1979, as amended at 48 FR 44544, Sept. 29, 1983; 49 FR 4751, Feb. 8, 1984]","(a) The servicing agent shall be deemed to have agreed, as a condition of its contract that it shall not offer flood insurance under any authority or auspices in any amount within the maximum limits of coverage specified in § 61.6 of this subchapter, in any area the Federal Insurance Administrator designates in part 64 of this subchapter as eligible for the sale of flood insurance under the Program, other than in accordance with this part, and the Standard Flood Insurance Policy.

(b) The agreement and all activities thereunder are subject to title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 2000d, and to the applicable Federal regulations and requirements issued from time to time pursuant thereto. No person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under the Program, on the ground of race, color, sex, creed or national origin. Any complaint or information concerning the existence of any such unlawful discrimination in any matter within the purview of this part should be referred to the Federal Insurance Administrator."
44:44:1.0.1.2.27.1.9.5,44,Emergency Management and Assistance,I,B,62,PART 62—SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS,A,Subpart A—Issuance of Policies,,"§ 62.5 Nullifications, cancellations, and premium refunds.",FEMA,,,"[85 FR 43985, July 20, 2020]","(a)  Nullification —(1)  Property ineligible at time of application.  FEMA will void a policy for a property that was not eligible for coverage at the time of the initial application from the commencement of the policy. FEMA must pay the policyholder a refund of all premium, fees, and surcharges paid from the date of commencement of the policy, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of receipt of verifiable evidence that the property was ineligible for coverage at the time of the initial application. If FEMA paid a claim for an ineligible property, the policyholder must return the claim payment to FEMA, or offset the payment from the premiums to be refunded, before FEMA will process the refund.

(2)  Property later becomes ineligible.  FEMA may not renew a policy for a property that was eligible for coverage at the time of the initial application, but later became ineligible for coverage. In such instances, FEMA must nullify the policy from the first renewal date after the property became ineligible. FEMA must refund all premium, fees, and surcharges paid from the first renewal date after the property became ineligible, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of receipt of verifiable evidence that the property was eligible for coverage at the time of the initial application, but later became ineligible for coverage. If FEMA paid a claim for a property after it became ineligible for coverage, the policyholder must return the claim payment to FEMA or FEMA must offset the amount of claim payment from the premiums to be refunded before FEMA may process the refund.

(3)  Nullification prior to policy effective date.  If FEMA nullifies a policy prior to the policy effective date, that policy will be void from the commencement of the nullified policy term. In such case, FEMA will refund all premium, fees, and surcharges paid for the current policy term only. If FEMA paid a claim for a policy that was improperly issued, the policyholder must return the claim payment to FEMA or FEMA must offset the amount of claim payment from the premiums to be refunded before the NFIP may process the refund.

(b)  Cancellation due to lack of an insurable interest.  If the policyholder had an insurable interest, but no longer has an insurable interest, in the insured property, FEMA must cancel the policy on the insured property. If FEMA cancels a policy for this reason, FEMA must refund the policyholder a pro rata share of the premium from the date the policyholder lost an insurable interest in the property, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of the cancellation request. FEMA must pay the policyholder a refund of all fees or surcharges for any full policy term during which the policyholder had no insurable interest in the insured property, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of the cancellation request. A policyholder ceases to have an insurable interest if:

(1) For building coverage, the building was sold, destroyed, or removed.

(2) For contents coverage, the contents were sold or transferred, or the contents were completely removed from the described location.

(c)  No insurance coverage requirement.  A policyholder may cancel a policy if the policyholder was subject to a requirement by a lender, loss payee, or other Federal agency to obtain and maintain flood insurance pursuant to statute, regulation, or contract, but there is no longer such a requirement. The policyholder will receive a refund of a pro rata share of the premium for the current policy term only, calculated from the date of the cancellation request, but will not receive a refund of any fees or surcharges.

(d)  Establishment of a common expiration date.  A policyholder may purchase a new policy and cancel an existing policy in order to establish a common expiration date between flood insurance coverage and other coverage. The policyholder will receive a refund of a pro rata share of the premium calculated from the effective date of the new policy to the end date of the previous policy. The policyholder will not receive a refund of any fees or surcharges. In order to rewrite and cancel the policy, the following conditions must apply:

(1) The new policy must be written with the same company for the same or higher amount of coverage. If the policy is written for a higher amount or different type of coverage, the waiting period in § 61.11 will apply.

(2) The other insurance coverage for which the common expiration date is being established must be for coverage on the same building that is insured by the flood policy being cancelled and rewritten.

(3) The coverage for the new policy must be effective prior to cancelling the existing policy.

(e)  Cancelation or nullification of duplicate NFIP policies —(1)  Generally.  (i) Except as described in 44 CFR 62.5(e)(2), if an insured property is insured by more than one NFIP policy not in accordance with applicable regulations and the Standard Flood Insurance Policy, FEMA must nullify the policy with the later effective date. The policy with the earlier effective date will continue. The policyholder will receive a pro rata refund of all premium for the nullified policy from the effective date of the nullified policy, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of receipt of verifiable evidence that the insured property is insured by more than one NFIP policy. The policyholder will receive a refund of all fees or surcharges for any full policy term during which the policyholder was insured by more than one policy, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of receipt of verifiable evidence that the insured property is insured by more than one NFIP policy.

(ii) If both polices have the same policy effective date, the policyholder may choose which policy will remain in effect, and the policyholder will receive a refund of all premium, fees, and surcharges for the cancelled policy from the effective date of the cancelled policy, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of receipt of verifiable evidence that the insured property is insured by more than one NFIP policy.

(2)  Exceptions.  In the following cases, the policyholder may maintain the policy with the later policy effective date while cancelling the policy with the earlier policy effective date:

(i) The policy with the earlier effective date has expired for more than 30 days. In such cases, the policyholder will receive a refund of a pro rata share of the premium, calculated from the effective date of the policy with the later effective date to the end date of the policy with the earlier effective date, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of cancellation. The policyholder will also receive a refund of all fees and surcharges for any full policy terms during which the insured property is insured by both policies, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of the cancellation request.

(ii) The policy with the earlier policy effective date is a Group Flood Insurance Policy. In such cases, there will be no refund of any premium, fees, or surcharges.

(iii) The policy with the earlier effective date is cancelled to establish a common policy expiration date pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section. In such cases, refunds will be provided in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.

(iv) The policy with the earlier effective date was force placed pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 4012a using the NFIP's Mortgage Portfolio Protection Program. In such cases, the policyholder will receive a refund of the pro rata share of the premium calculated from the policy effective date of the new policy to the expiration date of the cancelled policy. There will be no refund of any fees or surcharges.

(v) The policy with the earlier effective date is a Dwelling Form policy with building coverage on a condominium unit that is also insured by a Residential Condominium Building Association Policy (RCBAP) that is issued at the statutory maximum coverage limit for buildings. In such cases, the policyholder will receive a refund of a pro rata share of the premium for the building coverage issued under the Dwelling Form policy, as calculated from the effective date of the RCBAP policy to the end date of the Dwelling Form policy. The policyholder will also receive a refund of all fees and surcharges for any full policy terms during which the condominium unit is insured by both a Dwelling Form policy and an RCBAP in which the coverage equals the statutory maximum coverage limits for buildings, but no more than 5 years prior to the date of the cancellation request.

(f)  Other cancellations and nullifications.  Except as indicated below, FEMA will not refund premiums, assessments, fees, or surcharges if FEMA cancels a policy for any of the following reasons:

(1)  Fraud.  FEMA will cancel a policy for fraud committed by the policyholder or the agent. FEMA may cancel a policy for misrepresentation of a material fact by the policyholder or agent. Such cancellations will take effect as of the date of the fraudulent act or material misrepresentation of fact.

(2)  Administrative cancellation.  FEMA may cancel and rewrite a policy to correct an administrative error, such as when the policy is written with the wrong policy effective date. In such cases, FEMA will apply any premium, assessments, fees, or surcharges to the new policy. FEMA will refund any excess premium, fees, surcharges, or assessments paid.

(3)  Nullification for properties ineligible due to physical alteration of property.  A policy insuring a building or its contents, or both, may be cancelled if the building has been physically altered in such a manner that the building and its contents are no longer eligible for flood insurance coverage. The policyholder will receive a refund of a pro rata share of the premium for the current policy term only, but the policyholder will not receive a refund of any fees or surcharges."
44:44:1.0.1.2.27.1.9.6,44,Emergency Management and Assistance,I,B,62,PART 62—SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS,A,Subpart A—Issuance of Policies,,§ 62.6 Brokers and agents writing NFIP policies through the NFIP Direct Servicing Agent.,FEMA,,,"[46 FR 13515, Feb. 23, 1981, as amended at 53 FR 15221, Apr. 28, 1988; 57 FR 19541, May 7, 1992; 86 FR 10029, Feb. 18, 2021]","(a) A broker or agent selling policies of flood insurance placed with the NFIP at the offices of its servicing agent must be duly licensed by the state insurance regulatory authority in the state in which the property is located.

(b) The earned commission which will be paid to any property or casualty insurance agent or broker, with respect to each policy or renewal the agent duly procures on behalf of the insured, in connection with policies of flood insurance placed with the NFIP at the offices of its servicing agent, but not with respect to policies of flood insurance issued pursuant to subpart C of this part, will not be less than $10 and is computed as follows:

(1) In the case of a new or renewal policy, the following commissions shall apply based on the total premiums paid for the policy term:

(2) In the case of mid-term increases in amounts of insurance added by endorsements, the following commissions shall apply based on the total premiums paid for the increased amounts of insurance:

(c) Any refunds of premiums authorized under this subchapter shall not affect a previously earned commission; and no agent shall be required to return that earned commission, unless the refund is made to establish a common policy term anniversary date with other insurance providing coverage against loss by other perils in which case a return of commission will be required by the agent on a pro rata basis. In such cases, the policy shall be immediately rewritten for a new term with the same amount(s) of coverage and with premium calculated at the then current rate and, as to return premium, returned, pro rata, to the insured based on the former policy's premium rate."
44:44:1.0.1.2.27.2.9.1,44,Emergency Management and Assistance,I,B,62,PART 62—SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS,B,"Subpart B—Claims Adjustment, Claims Appeals, and Judicial Review",,§ 62.20 Claims appeals.,FEMA,,,"[71 FR 30298, May 26, 2006, as amended at 71 FR 60438, Oct. 13, 2006; 74 FR 56123, Oct. 30, 2009; 81 FR 20258, Apr. 7, 2016]","(a)  Definitions.

Appeal decision  means the disposition of the appeal by the Federal Insurance Administrator.

Decision  means the insurer's final claim determination, which is the insurer's written denial, in whole or in part, of the insured's claim.

(b)  Appeal.  A National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policyholder, whether insured by a participating Write-Your-Own (WYO) Company or directly by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), may appeal a  decision , including a determination of any insurance agent, adjuster, insurance company, or any FEMA employee or contractor with respect to a claim, proof of loss, and loss estimate. In order to file an appeal, the insured must comply with all requirements set out in the Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP). This appeals process is available after the issuance of the insurer's final claim determination, which is the insurer's written denial, in whole or in part, of the insured's claim. Once the final claim determination is issued, an insured may appeal any action taken by the insurer, FEMA employee, FEMA contractor, insurance adjuster, or insurance agent.

(c)  Limitations on Appeals.  The appeals process is intended to resolve claim issues and is not intended to grant coverage or limits that are not provided by the SFIP. Filing an appeal does not waive any of the requirements for perfecting a claim under the SFIP or extend any of the time limitations set forth in the SFIP.

(1) Disputes that are or have been subject to appraisal as provided for in the SFIP cannot be appealed under this section.

(2) When a policyholder files an appeal on any issue, that issue is no longer subject to resolution by appraisal or other pre-litigation remedies.

(d)  Litigation preclusion.  An insured who files suit against an insurer on the flood insurance claim issue is prohibited from filing an appeal under this section. All appeals submitted for decision but not yet resolved shall be terminated upon notice of the commencement of litigation regarding the claim.

(e)  Procedures.  To pursue an appeal under this section a policyholder must:

(1) Submit a written appeal to FEMA within 60 days from the date of the decision.

(2) Provide a copy of the insurer's written denial, in whole or in part, of the claim;

(3) Identify relevant policy and claim information and state the basis for the appeal; and

(4) Submit relevant documentation to support the appeal. The policyholder should submit only the documentation that pertains to his or her claim. The following are examples of the kinds of documentation which FEMA will require to adjudicate the appeal: A copy of the proof of loss submitted to the insurer as required in the policy; room by room itemized estimates from the adjuster (includes contractors' estimates), detailing unit cost and quantities for the items needing repair or replacement; replacement cost proofs of loss; Preliminary Report; Final Report; detailed damaged personal property inventories that include the approximate age of the items; completed Mobile Home Worksheet; Mobile Home Title, including Salvage Titles; real estate appraisals that exclude land values; advance payment information; clear photographs (exterior and interior) confirming damage resulted from direct physical loss by or from flood; proof of prior repair; evidence of insurance and policy information ,  i.e.  declarations page; Elevation Certificate, if the risk is an elevated building; the community's determination made concerning substantial damage; information regarding substantial improvement; zone determinations; pre-loss and post-loss inventories; financial statements; tax records, lease agreements, sales contracts, settlement papers, deed,  etc. ; emergency (911) address change information; salvage information (proceeds and sales); condominium association by-laws; proof of other insurance, including homeowners or wind policies and any claim information submitted to the other companies; Waiver, Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) or Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) information; paid receipts and invoices including cancelled checks that support an insured's out-of-pocket expenses pertaining to the claim; underwriting decisions; architectural plans and drawings; death certificates; a copy of the will; divorce decree, power of attorney; current lienholder information; current loss payee information; paid receipts and invoices documenting damaged stock; detailed engineering reports specifically addressing flood-related damage and pre-existing damage; engineering surveys; market values; documentation of Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM) dates; documentation reflecting date(s) of construction and substantial improvement; loan documents including closings; evidence of insurability as a Residential Condominium Association; Franchise Agreements; letters of representation,  i.e.  attorneys and public adjusters; any assignment of interest in a claim; and, any other pertinent information which FEMA may request in processing a claim.

(f)  Appeal resolution.  (1) FEMA will acknowledge, in writing, receipt of a policyholder's appeal and include in the acknowledgement contact information for a FEMA point of contact who can advise the policyholder as to the status of his or her claim.

(2) The  Federal Insurance Administrator  will review the appeal documents and may notify the policyholder in writing of the need for additional information. A request for the additional information will include the date by which the information must be provided, and shall in no case be less than 14 calendar days. Failure to provide the requested information in full, or to request an extension by the due date, may result in a dismissal of the appeal. A re-inspection of the policyholder's property may be conducted at the discretion of the  Federal Insurance Administrator  to gather more information. The  Federal Insurance Administrator  will ensure that all information necessary to rule on the appeal has been provided prior to making an  appeal decision.

(3) The  Federal Insurance Administrator  will review the appeal documents, including any reinspection report, if appropriate. The Federal Insurance Administrator will provide specific information on what grounds the claim was denied initially. The Federal Insurance Administrator will provide an  appeal decision  in writing to the policyholder and insurer within 90 days from the date that all information has been submitted by the policyholder and include specific information for the resolution of the appeal. No further administrative review will be provided to the insured.

(4) A policyholder who does not agree with FEMA's appeal decision should refer to the SFIP, for options for further action ( see  Part 61, App. A(1) VII.R., Part 61, App. A(2) VII.R., and Part 61, App. A(3) VIII.R.). The one-year period to file suit commences with the written denial from the insurer and is not extended by the appeals process."
44:44:1.0.1.2.27.2.9.2,44,Emergency Management and Assistance,I,B,62,PART 62—SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS,B,"Subpart B—Claims Adjustment, Claims Appeals, and Judicial Review",,§ 62.21 Claims adjustment.,FEMA,,,,"(a) In accordance with the Agreement, the servicing agent shall arrange for the prompt adjustment and settlement and payment of all claims arising from policies of insurance issued under the program. Investigation of such claims may be made through the facilities of its subcontractors or insurance adjustment organizations, to the extent required and appropriate for the expeditious processing of such claims.

(b) All adjustment of losses and settlements of claims shall be made in accordance with the terms and conditions of the policy and parts 61 and 62 of this subchapter."
44:44:1.0.1.2.27.2.9.3,44,Emergency Management and Assistance,I,B,62,PART 62—SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS,B,"Subpart B—Claims Adjustment, Claims Appeals, and Judicial Review",,§ 62.22 Judicial review.,FEMA,,,"[43 FR 2573, Jan. 17, 1978. Redesignated at 44 FR 31177, May 31, 1979, as amended at 47 FR 43061 Sept. 30, 1982; 49 FR 33879, Aug. 27, 1984; 69 FR 45610, July 30, 2004; 85 FR 43986, July 20, 2020]","(a) Upon the disallowance by the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, a participating Write-Your-Own Company, or the servicing agent of any claim on grounds other than failure to file a proof of loss, or upon the refusal of the claimant to accept the amount allowed upon any claim after appraisal pursuant to policy provisions, the claimant within one year after the date of mailing by the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, the participating Write-Your-Own Company, or the servicing agent of the notice of disallowance or partial disallowance of the claim may, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 4072, institute an action on such claim against the insurer only in the U.S. District Court for the district in which the insured property or the major portion thereof shall have been situated, without regard to the amount in controversy.

(b) Service of process for all judicial proceedings where a claimant is suing the Administrator of FEMA pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 4071 shall be made upon the appropriate United States Attorney, the Attorney General of the United States, and the Federal Insurance Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency."
44:44:1.0.1.2.27.3.9.1,44,Emergency Management and Assistance,I,B,62,PART 62—SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS,C,Subpart C—Write-Your-Own (WYO) Companies,,§ 62.23 WYO Companies authorized.,FEMA,,,"[61 FR 51219, Oct. 1, 1996, as amended at 64 FR 56176, Oct. 18, 1999; 67 FR 13549, Mar. 22, 2002; 69 FR 45610, July 30, 2004; 74 FR 15341, Apr. 3, 2009; 81 FR 84490, Nov. 23, 2016; 89 FR 87309, Nov. 1, 2024]","(a) Pursuant to section 1345 of the Act, the Federal Insurance Administrator may enter into arrangements with individual private sector property insurance companies or other insurers, such as public entity risk sharing organizations. Under these arrangements, such companies or other insurers may offer flood insurance coverage under the program to eligible applicants. Such WYO companies may offer flood coverage to policyholders insured by them under their own property business lines of insurance, pursuant to their customary business practices, including their usual arrangements with agents and producers. WYO companies may sell flood insurance coverage in any State in which the WYO company is authorized to engage in the business of property insurance. Other WYO insurers may offer flood insurance coverage to their pool members insured by them under their own property business lines of coverage, pursuant to their customary business practices. These other WYO insurers may provide flood coverage in any State that has authorized the other insurer to provide property coverage to its members. Arrangements entered into by WYO companies or other insurers under this subpart must be in the form and substance of the standard arrangement, titled “Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement.” Each year, at least six months before the effective date of the “Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement,” FEMA must publish in the  Federal Register  and make available to the WYO companies the terms for subscription or re-subscription to the “Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement.”

(b) Any duly authorized insurer so engaged in the Program shall be a WYO Company. (The term “WYO Company” shall include the following kinds of insurers: Public entity risk-sharing organizations, an association of local governments, a State association of political subdivisions, a State-sponsored municipal league, and other intergovernmental risk-sharing pool for covering public entity structures.)

(c) A WYO Company is authorized to arrange for the issuance of flood insurance in any amount within the maximum limits of coverage specified in § 61.6 of this subchapter, as Insurer, to any person qualifying for such coverage under parts 61 and 64 of this subchapter who submits an application to the WYO Company; coverage shall be issued under the Standard Flood Insurance Policy.

(d) A WYO Company issuing flood insurance coverage shall arrange for the adjustment, settlement, payment and defense of all claims arising from policies of flood insurance it issues under the Program, based upon the terms and conditions of the Standard Flood Insurance Policy.

(e) In carrying out its functions under this subpart, a WYO Company shall use its own customary standards, staff and independent contractor resources, as it would in the ordinary and necessary conduct of its own business affairs, subject to the Act and regulations prescribed by the Federal Insurance Administrator under the Act.

(f) To facilitate the marketing of flood insurance coverage under the Program to policyholders of WYO Companies, the Federal Insurance Administrator will enter into arrangements with such companies whereby the Federal Government will be a guarantor in which the primary relationship between the WYO Company and the Federal Government will be one of a fiduciary nature, i.e., to assure that any taxpayer funds are accounted for and appropriately expended. In furtherance of this end, the Federal Insurance Administrator has established “A Plan to Maintain Financial Control for Business Written Under the Write Your Own Program.”

(g) A WYO Company shall act as a fiscal agent of the Federal Government, but not as its general agent. WYO Companies are solely responsible for their obligations to their insured under any flood insurance policies issued under agreements entered into with the Federal Insurance Administrator, such that the Federal Government is not a proper party defendant in any lawsuit arising out of such policies.

(h) To facilitate the underwriting of flood insurance coverage by WYO Companies, the following procedures will be used by WYO Companies:

(1) To expedite business growth, the WYO Company will encourage its present property insurance policyholders to purchase flood insurance through the NFIP WYO Program.

(2) To conform its underwriting practices to the underwriting rules and rates in effect as to the NFIP, the WYO Company will establish procedures to carry out the NFIP rating system and provide its policyholders with the same coverage as is afforded under the NFIP.

(3) The WYO Company may follow its customary billing practices to meet the Federal rules on the presentment of premium and net premium deposits to a Letter of Credit bank account authorized by the Federal Insurance Administrator and reduction of coverage when an underpayment is discovered.

(4) The WYO Company is expected to meet the recording and reporting requirements of the WYO Transaction Record Reporting and Processing Plan. Transactions reported by the WYO Company under the WYO Transaction Record Reporting and Processing Plan will be analyzed by the NFIP Bureau & Statistical Agent. A monthly report will be submitted to the WYO Company and the FIA. The analysis will cover the timeliness of WYO Company submissions, the disposition of transactions that have not passed systems edits and the reconciliation of the totals generated from transaction reports with those submitted on the WYO Company's reconciliation reports.

(5) If a WYO Company rejects an application from an agent or a producer, the agent or producer shall be notified so that the business can be placed through the NFIP Servicing Agent, or another WYO Company.

(6) Flood insurance coverage will be issued by the WYO Company on a separate policy form and will not be added, by endorsement, to the Company's other property insurance forms.

(7) Premium payment plans must be offered by the WYO Company under the terms prescribed by the Administrator in § 61.10(a)(1).

(8) NFIP business will not be assumed by the WYO Companies at any time other than at renewal time, at which time the insurance producer may submit the business to the WYO Company as new business. However, it is permissible to cancel and rewrite flood policies to obtain concurrent expiration dates with other policies covering the property.

(i) To facilitate the adjustment of flood insurance claims by WYO Companies, the following procedures will be used by WYO Companies.

(1) WYO companies will adjust claims in accordance with general company standards, guided by NFIP Claims manuals. The Arrangement provides that claim adjustments shall be binding upon the FIA.

(2) The WYO Company may use its staff adjusters, independent adjusters, or both. It is important that the Company's Claims Department verifies the correctness of the coverage interpretations and reasonableness of the payments recommended by the adjusters.

(3) An established loss adjustment Fee Schedule is part of the Arrangement and cannot be changed during an Arrangement year. This is the expense allowance to cover costs of independent or WYO Company adjusters.

(4) The normal catastrophe claims procedure currently operated by a WYO Company should be implemented in the event of a claim catastrophe situation. Flood claims will be handled along with other catastrophe claims.

(5) It will be the WYO Company's responsibility to try to detect fraud (as it does in the case of property insurance) and coordinate its findings with FIA.

(6) Pursuant to the Arrangement, the responsibility for defending claims will be upon the Write Your Own Company and defense costs will be part of the unallocated or allocated claim expense allowance, depending on whether a staff counsel or an outside attorney handles the defense of the matter. Claims in litigation will be reported by WYO Companies to FIA upon joinder of issue and FIA may inquire and be advised of the disposition of such litigation.

(7) The claim reserving procedures of the individual WYO Company can be used.

(8) Regarding the handling of subrogation, if a WYO Company prefers to forego pursuit of subrogation recovery, it may do so by referring the matter, with a complete copy of the claim file, to FIA. Subrogation initiatives may be truncated at any time before suit is commenced (after commencing an action, special arrangement must bemade). FIA, after consultation with FEMA's Office of the Chief Counsel (OCC), will forward the cause of action to OCC or to the NFIP Bureau and Statistical Agent for prosecution. Any funds received will be deposited, less expenses, in the National Flood Insurance Fund.

(9) Special allocated loss adjustment expenses will include such items as: nonstaff attorney fees, engineering fees and special investigation fees over and above normal adjustment practices.

(10) The customary content of claim files will include coverage verification, normal adjuster investigations, including statements where necessary, police reports, building reports and investigations, damage verification and other documentation relevant to the adjustment of claims under the NFIP's and the WYO Company's traditional claim adjustment practices and procedures. The WYO Company's claim examiners and managers will supervise the adjustment of flood insurance claims by staff and independent claims adjusters.

(11) The WYO Company will extend reasonable cooperation to FEMA's Office of the Chief Counsel on matters pertaining to litigation and subrogation, under paragraph (i)(8) of this section.

(j) To facilitate establishment of financial controls under the WYO Program, the WYO Company will:

(1) Have a biennial audit of the flood insurance financial statements conducted by an independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firm at the Company's expense to ensure that the financial data reported to us accurately represents the flood insurance activities of the Company. The CPA firm must conduct its audits in accordance with the generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS) and Government Auditing Standards issued by the Comptroller General of the United States (commonly known as “yellow book” requirements). The Company must file with us (the Federal Insurance Administration) a report of the CPA firm's detailed biennial audit, and, after our review of the audit report, we will convey our determination to the Standards Committee.

(2) Participate in a WYO Company/FIA Operation review. We will conduct a review of the WYO Company's flood insurance claims, underwriting, customer service, marketing, and litigation activities at least once every three (3) years. As part of these reviews, we will reconcile specific files with a listing of transactions submitted by the Company under the Transaction Record Reporting and Processing (TRPP) Plan (Part 5). We will file a report of the Operation Review with the Standards Committee.

(3) Meet the recording and reporting requirements of the WYO Transaction Record Reporting and Processing Plan and the WYO Accounting Procedures Manual. Transactions reported to the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP's) Bureau and Statistical Agent by the WYO Company under the WYO Transaction Record Reporting and Processing Plan and the WYO Accounting Procedures Manual will be analyzed by the Bureau and Statistical Agent and a monthly report will be submitted to the WYO Company and the FIA. The analysis will cover the timeliness of the WYO Company submissions, the disposition of transactions which do not pass systems edits and the reconciliation of the totals generated from transaction reports with those submitted on WYO Company reconciliation reports.

(4) Cooperate with FEMA's Chief Financial Officer on Letter of Credit matters.

(5) Cooperate with FIA in the implementation of a claims reinspection program.

(6) Cooperate with FIA in the verification of risk rating information.

(7) Cooperate with DHS's Office of the Inspector General on matters pertaining to fraud.

(k) To facilitate the operation of the WYO Program and in order that a WYO Company can use its own customary standards, staff and independent contractor resources, as it would in the ordinary and necessary conduct of its own business affairs, subject to the Act, the Federal Insurance Administrator, for good cause shown, may grant exceptions to and waivers of the regulations contained in this title relative to the administration of the NFIP.

(l)(1) WYO Companies may, on a voluntary basis, elect to participate in the Mortgage Portfolio Protection Program (MPPP), under which they can offer, as a last resort, flood insurance at special high rates, sufficient to recover the full cost of this program in recognition of the uncertainty as to the degree of risk a given building presents due to the limited underwriting data required, to properties in a lending institution's mortgage portfolio to achieve compliance with the flood insurance purchase requirements of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973. Flood insurance policies under the MPPP may only be issued for those properties that:

(i) Are determined to be located within special flood hazard areas of communities that are participating in the NFIP, and

(ii) Are not covered by a flood insurance policy even after a required series of notices have been given to the property owner (mortgagor) by the lending institution of the requirement for obtaining and maintaining such coverage, but the mortgagor has failed to respond.

(2) WYO Companies participating in the MPPP must provide a detailed implementation package to any lending institution that, on a voluntary basis, chooses to participate in the MPPP to ensure the lending institution has full knowledge of the criteria in that program and must obtain a signed receipt for that package from the lending institution. Participating WYO companies must also maintain evidence of compliance with paragraph (l)(3) of this section for review during the audits and reviews required by the WYO Financial Control Plan.

(3) The mortgagor must be protected against the lending institution's arbitrary placing of flood insurance for which the mortgagor will be billed by being sent three notification letters as described in paragraphs (l)(4) through (6) of this section.

(4) The initial notification letter must:

(i) State the requirements of the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended;

(ii) Announce the determination that the mortgagor's property is in an identified special flood hazard area as delineated on the appropriate FEMA map, necessitating flood insurance coverage for the duration of the loan;

(iii) Describe the procedure to follow should the mortgagor wish to challenge the determination;

(iv) Request evidence of a valid flood insurance policy or, if there is none, encourage the mortgagor to obtain a Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP) promptly from a local insurance agent (or WYO Company);

(v) Advise that the premium for a MPPP policy is significantly higher than a conventional SFIP policy and advise as to the option for obtaining less costly flood insurance; and

(vi) Advise that a MPPP policy will be purchased by the lender if evidence of flood insurance coverage is not received by a date certain.

(5) The second notification letter must remind the mortgagor of the previous notice and provide essentially the same information.

(6) The final notification letter must:

(i) Enclose a copy of the flood insurance policy purchased under the MPPP on the mortgagor's (insured's) behalf, together with the Declarations Page,

(ii) Advise that the policy was purchased because of the failure to respond to the previous notices, and

(iii) Remind the insured that similar coverage may be available at significantly lower cost and advise that the policy can be cancelled at any time during the policy year and a pro rata refund provided for the unearned portion of the premium in the event the insured purchases another policy that is acceptable to satisfy the requirements of the 1973 Act."
44:44:1.0.1.2.27.3.9.2,44,Emergency Management and Assistance,I,B,62,PART 62—SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS,C,Subpart C—Write-Your-Own (WYO) Companies,,§ 62.24 WYO participation criteria.,FEMA,,,"[67 FR 13550, Mar. 22, 2002, as amended at 86 FR 67659, Nov. 29, 2021]","New companies or organizations eligible for the pilot project we describe in paragraph (b) of this section that seek to participate in the WYO program, as well as former WYO companies seeking to return to the WYO program, must meet standards for financial capability and stability for statistical and financial reporting and for commitment to program objectives.

(a) To demonstrate the ability to meet the financial requirements, a private insurance company wishing to enter or reenter the WYO program must:

(1) Be a licensed property insurance company;

(2) Have a five (5) year history of writing property insurance;

(3) Disclose any legal proceedings, suspensions, judgments, settlements, or agreements reached with any State insurance department, State attorney general, State corporation commission, or the Federal Government during the immediately prior five (5) years regarding the company's business practices;

(4) Submit its most recent National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) annual statement;

(5) Submit information, as data become available, to indicate that the company meets or exceeds NAIC standards for risk-based capital and surplus; and

(6) Submit its last State or regional audit, which should contain no material negative findings.

(b) To demonstrate the ability to meet the financial requirements, a public entity risk-sharing organization, an association of local governments, a State association of political subdivisions, a State-sponsored municipal league, and any other intergovernmental risk-sharing pool for covering public entity structures, wishing to enter the WYO program, which will end September 30, 2004, must:

(1) Have authority by a State to provide property coverage to its members;

(2) Have a five (5) year history of writing property coverage;

(3) Disclose any legal proceedings, suspensions, judgments, settlements, or agreements reached with any State insurance department, State attorney general, State corporation commission, or the Federal Government during the immediately prior five (5) years regarding the other insurer's business practices; and

(4) Submit its most recent two annual audits from an independent accounting firm performed in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles that show no material negative findings; and submit, as data become available, information to indicate that the other insurer meets or exceeds standards comparable to those of the NAIC for risk-based capital and surplus.

(c) An applicant for entry or reentry in the WYO program must also pass a test to determine the applicant's ability to process flood insurance and meet the Transaction Record Reporting and Processing (TRRP) Plan requirements of the WYO Financial Control Plan. Unless the test requirement is waived, e.g., where an already qualified performer will fulfill the applicant's reporting requirements, the applicant must prepare and submit test output monthly tape(s) and monthly financial statements and reconciliations for processing by the NFIP Bureau and Statistical Agent contractor. For test purposes, no error tolerance will be allowed. If the applicant fails the initial test, a second test will be run, which the applicant must pass to participate in the Program.

(d) To satisfy the requirement for commitment to Program goals, including marketing of flood insurance policies, the applicant will submit information concerning its plans for the WYO Program including plans for the training and support of producers and staff, marketing plans and sales targets, and claims handling and disaster response plans. Applicants must also identify those aspects of their planned flood insurance operations to be performed by another organization, managing agent, another WYO Company, a WYO vendor, a service bureau or related organization. Applicants will also name, in addition to a Principal Coordinator, a corporate officer point of contact—an individual, e.g., at the level of Senior Executive Vice President, who reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer or the Chief Operating Officer. Each applicant shall furnish the latest available information regarding the number of its fire, allied lines, farm-owners multiple peril, homeowners multiple peril, and commercial multiple peril policies or coverage documents in force, by line."