Flood Bills Filed by Texas Legislature

With the 86th Texas Legislature underway, both the House of Representatives and Senate have taken up the Texas Department of Insurance’s (TDI) recommendation to require property policies to disclose if the policy does not protect against flood damage.

Rep. Mary Ann Perez filed HB 283 in the House, which requires an insurer that issues a residential or commercial property policy to disclose if the policy does not provide coverage against flood loss. Sen. Kelly Hancock, Chair of the Senate’s Business & Commerce Committee, filed a similar bill in the Senate, SB 442.

HB 970, filed by Rep. Armando Walle, requires a seller to disclose whether a dwelling, manufactured home lot, or commercial property with a prospective tenant is located in a floodplain or is at risk of flooding. SB 339 and HB 993, filed by Sen. Joan Huffman and Rep. Garnet F. Coleman, respectively, require comparable disclosures.

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey and widespread flooding events over the past two years, state lawmakers have filed several bills related to floods. In addition to those regarding insurance, bills to create a state flood plan and conduct a comprehensive study on flood control infrastructure for Harris County have also been filed. While the state experienced loss as a result of natural disasters, lawmakers are now responding to prevent future loss on a similar scale.