The Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking reminds insurance producers licensed in the District of Columbia that section 207 of the Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2004, approved June 30, 2004 (P.L. 108-264; 118 Stat 712; 42 U.S.C. § 4011 note) (“Act”) requires all producers selling flood insurance policies under the National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”) to be properly trained and educated about the NFIP to ensure producers may best serve their clients.

The Act directed the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”), in cooperation with the insurance industry, state insurance regulators, and other interested parties, to establish minimum training and education requirements for all insurance agents who sell flood insurance policies issued under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, approved August 1, 1968 (P.L. 90-448; 82 Stat. 572; 42 U.S.C. § 4001 et seq.). On September 1, 2005, FEMA issued a notice (“FEMA Notice”) implementing this requirement.

Producers should familiarize themselves with the FEMA Notice and ensure that they are meeting all of its requirements. The FEMA Notice is available at http://www.fema.gov/txt/nfip/fira2004_fedreg.txt. All resident insurance producers licensed by the District of Columbia who sell federal flood insurance policies must comply with the requirements established by section 207 of the Act and the FEMA Notice, and such later requirements as may be published by FEMA. Failure to comply with these requirements may jeopardize the producer’s authority to write insurance through the NFIP.