Louisiana senators push FEMA to halt Risk Rating 2.0 program

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy ask the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to stop the Risk Rating 2.0 program.

According to FEMA, Risk Rating 2.0 was created under the Biden administration as a new approach to flood risk assessment through new data. The system checks factors such as flood frequency, flood types, and proximity to flood sources.

Cassidy, Kennedy, and other Republicans are asking that the program end due to the increase in premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program.

“Since the Biden Administration’s rollout of Risk Rating 2.0, premiums under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) increased in every state. By FEMA’s own estimates, 77 percent of all NFIP policies now pay more than under the old system,” the senators wrote.

The letter states that Louisiana saw a 234% increase in premiums in 2023, forcing over 52,000 residents out of the program. Other states impacted include Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and West Virginia.

“Each month that Risk Rating 2.0 continues unchecked, more families are forced to abandon their insurance coverage, neighborhoods face economic strain, and entire communities risk collapse after the next disaster,” the lawmakers added.

In March 2025, Cassidy and Kennedy introduced legislation to extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through Dec. 31, 2026, which would give homeowners long-term stability.

Read the full letter below.

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