Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed House Bill 735, creating a Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force to study ways to make flood insurance more affordable and accessible, a move prompted by the deadly July 2023 flash floods in Bucks County that killed seven people. Sponsored by state Rep. Perry Warren (D-31), the bipartisan measure directs the task force to recommend policies like premium discount programs, incentives for local flood-mitigation efforts, potential changes to state law or policy regarding the administration of flood insurance, and strategies to increase participation in both the federal and private flood insurance markets. The action comes as revised FEMA flood maps require more properties to carry flood insurance, driving up premiums and leaving many homeowners struggling to pay. Standard homeowners’ or renters’ policies do not cover damages resulting from a flood.
Source: The Reporter; 12/14/2025