Swift Passage Urged For Flood Insurance Overhaul

U.S. Rep. William Keating is calling for swift passage of a flood insurance bill in the House that would give hundreds of thousands of homeowners a reprieve from higher flood insurance premiums.

The Democrat said there's no reason why House leadership shouldn't take up the bill when lawmakers come back into session Monday.

Keating called the bill "the only responsible and democratic course of action on an issue that affects so many lives."

U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, original co-sponsors of the legislation, praised passage of the bill on Thursday in the Senate.

"The bipartisan ... act is an important step forward for Massachusetts families who are in jeopardy of losing their homes because of huge hikes in their flood insurance rates," Warren said in a statement. "I'm committed to working with my colleagues to make sure that families who played by the rules can stay in their homes."

The legislation would delay for up to four years huge premium increases now set to phase in next year under updated government flood maps.

It also would allow homeowners with subsidized insurance policies to pass them on to people who buy their homes.

With reporting by The Associated Press and the WBUR Newsroom