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OPINION/EDITORIAL |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Jim Wansacz |
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June 30, 2008
Let's set the record straight on flood bill
by state Rep. Jim Wansacz
I recently sat down with Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty and media statewide to discuss my plan (H.B. 1989) for flood mitigation in Pennsylvania.
House Bill 1989 would create a program under the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to provide grants and loans for flood prevention and for assistance with repair of flood-related damage. While similar legislation has been proposed, my bill is the first of its kind to offer a dedicated funding source for the program without tapping into the state's General Fund.
House Bill 1989 would call for insurance companies to pay an annual surcharge of 20 cents on every $100 of insurance premiums paid on homeowner and business owner insurance policies in Pennsylvania. The fund created by this surcharge would kick in whenever a federal disaster is not declared following a flood.
This legislation would create a first-ever, dedicated funding source for flood clean-up and prevention, including projects around the state that are shovel-ready and just need funding. So you can imagine my dismay over false reports circulating about the bill.
The insurance lobby is working hard to try to bury H.B. 1989. Insurance companies are more worried about their short-term bottom lines than the hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians affected by flooding every year.
Here are the key facts about this bill: The average homeowner pays roughly $500 per year in property insurance premiums. The surcharge outlined in my bill would cost the average homeowner 20 cents on every $100, or around $1 per year. With that $1, we could fund various flood mitigation projects across the state and provide a small level of assistance.
The plan originally called for a flat, $1 annual fee on insurance policies, not $1 on every $100 as has sometimes been reported.
Communities across Pennsylvania need this legislation to pass so they can start flood cleanup and prevention projects where federal aid is not available. I have never compromised -- and would never compromise -- on the need to address such an important priority.
I urge all residents to call their state representative and senator and ask for their support of H.B.1989.
State Rep. Jim Wansacz (www.pahouse.com/Wansacz) represents the 114th Legislative District.