Keeping Homeownership Costs Down Act

This bill tells FEMA not to delay updating flood maps when land is raised with fill dirt. If a property or area is built up with fill, FEMA must issue the map change letter without putting it off. This could help homeowners and builders get flood map updates sooner, which may reduce required flood insurance if the property is shown to be at lower risk. It does not change how FEMA reviews or decides these requests—only that they can’t be deferred once they’re ready to issue.

This change will end once FEMA fully finishes certain wildlife protection steps tied to federal environmental reviews for these map changes. At that point, the amendment in this bill is automatically repealed.

Key points

• Who is affected: Homeowners, builders, and local governments seeking flood map changes after using fill dirt; FEMA staff who process these requests.
• What changes: FEMA cannot defer issuing letters that revise flood maps due to fill; the review process itself stays the same.
• When it ends: This policy ends once FEMA completes the required environmental protections related to these map updates.