The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is set to expire on Jan. 30, as its reauthorization remains stalled amid a wider dispute over Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding.
The House of Representatives passed 12 appropriations bills on Tuesday, six of which have been signed into law, according to a statement from the House Appropriations Committee. However, the DHS funding package, which includes appropriations for both NFIP and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has stalled in the Senate over disagreements about immigration enforcement.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Democrats will not approve the DHS budget unless reforms are made to “rein in and overhaul” the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The impasse has left NFIP caught in the political crossfire.
“It’s guilt by association at this point,” said Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers.
Berginnis said NFIP is subject to frequent reauthorization because it is tied to the federal budget, and lawmakers have been reluctant to pass longer-term approval without comprehensive program reforms. The program was last renewed in November 2025, followed by immediate calls to reform FEMA, BestWire reported.
“In this Congress, in terms of overall priorities, it just doesn’t seem like it is a priority right now, given the other things that are out there like reforming FEMA, for example,” Berginnis said. “What they typically do with a program when that longer-term authorization is lapsed is let it catch a ride on an appropriations bill for extensions.”
If NFIP authorization lapses, the program would stop issuing and renewing policies, according to FEMA. Claims would continue to be paid until funds are exhausted, and existing policies would remain in force until their expiration date, plus a 30-day grace period.
Schumer urged Senate majority leader John Thune of South Dakota to separate the DHS bill from the other five appropriations measures to allow swift passage of non-controversial funding.
“If Leader Thune agrees to split the bills – just as Speaker Johnson split them in the House – and puts the five on the floor, I am confident they will sail through this chamber, and we have funded 96% of the federal government,” Schumer said during a Jan. 27 floor speech.
Thune said negotiations continue as a potential government shutdown looms. “I urge my Democrat colleagues to continue their engagement and find a path forward that will avoid a needless shutdown and not jeopardize full funding for key agencies like FEMA and the Coast Guard,” Thune said in a statement.
Berginnis said industry watchers in Washington are anticipating another government shutdown.
