Flood insurance

House Financial Services Committee leaders and two top real estate trade groups have cut a deal on a bill to reform the National Flood Insurance Program.

Senate Banking Committee leaders are hoping to pass the bill quickly ahead of a looming deadline of Sept. 30 when the program expires.

The National Association of Home Builders is objecting to a measure that would impose a surcharge on National Flood Insurance Program policies for newly constructed homes.

The House Financial Services Committee approved several bills Thursday designed to boost the private flood insurance market.

The Senate voted 95-4 on Tuesday to confirm Brock Long as the next head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Louisiana landlords with rental houses walloped by 2005's Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were eventually promised state help to rebuild: If they could get loans to rehab their properties, the state government would later reimburse them.

The House Financial Services Committee passed two flood insurance bills but postponed more work until next week.

The House Financial Services Committee is slated to vote on several bills Wednesday that are designed to make private flood insurance a viable alternative to the National Flood Insurance Program.

Democrats are raising concerns about a Republican push to transfer more of the risk of flood insurance to private insurers.

Democrats and Republicans, who have agreed on little this year, have found common ground on plans to give private insurers greater access to the $5 billion flood insurance program and to offer more buyouts for homeowners in areas likely to be repeatedly submerged.