(a) Establishment; availability

To carry out the flood insurance program authorized by this chapter, the Administrator shall establish in the Treasury of the United States a National Flood Insurance Fund (hereinafter referred to as the “fund”) which shall be an account separate from any other accounts or funds available to the Administrator and shall be available as described in subsection (f), without fiscal year limitation (except as otherwise provided in this section)—

(1) for making such payments as may, from time to time, be required under section 4054 of this title;

(2) to pay reinsurance claims under the excess loss reinsurance coverage provided under section 4055 of this title;

(3) to repay to the Secretary of the Treasury such sums as may be borrowed from him (together with interest) in accordance with the authority provided in section 4016 of this title; and

(4) to the extent approved in appropriations Acts, to pay any administrative expenses of the flood insurance and floodplain management programs (including the costs of mapping activities under section 4101 of this title);

(5) for the purposes specified in subsection (d) under the conditions provided therein;

(6) for carrying out the program under section 4022(b) of this title;

(7) for transfers to the National Flood Mitigation Fund, but only to the extent provided in section 4104d(b)(1) of this title; and

(8) for carrying out section 4104(f) of this title.

(b) Credits to Fund

Terms Used In 42 USC 4017

  • Administrator: means the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. See 42 USC 4121
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.

The fund shall be credited with—

(1) such funds borrowed in accordance with the authority provided in section 4016 of this title as may from time to time be deposited in the fund;

(2) premiums, fees, or other charges which may be paid or collected in connection with the excess loss reinsurance coverage provided under section 4055 of this title;

(3) such amounts as may be advanced to the fund from appropriations in order to maintain the fund in an operative condition adequate to meet its liabilities;

(4) interest which may be earned on investments of the fund pursuant to subsection (c);

(5) such sums as are required to be paid to the Administrator under section 4015(d) of this title; and

(6) receipts from any other operations under this chapter (including premiums under the conditions specified in subsection (d), and salvage proceeds, if any, resulting from reinsurance coverage).

(c) Investment of moneys in obligations issued or guaranteed by United States

If, after—

(1) all outstanding obligations of the fund have been liquidated, and

(2) any outstanding amounts which may have been advanced to the fund from appropriations authorized under section 4127(a)(2)(B) of this title have been credited to the appropriation from which advanced, with interest accrued at the rate prescribed under section 2414(e) of this title, as in effect immediately prior to August 1, 1968,


the Administrator determines that the moneys of the fund are in excess of current needs, he may request the investment of such amounts as he deems advisable by the Secretary of the Treasury in obligations issued or guaranteed by the United States.

(d) Availability of Fund if operation of program is carried out through facilities of Federal Government

In the event the Administrator makes a determination in accordance with the provisions of section 4071 of this title that operation of the flood insurance program, in whole or in part, should be carried out through the facilities of the Federal Government, the fund shall be available for all purposes incident thereto, including—

(1) cost incurred in the adjustment and payment of any claims for losses, and

(2) payment of applicable operating costs set forth in the schedules prescribed under section 4018 of this title,


for so long as the program is so carried out, and in such event any premiums paid shall be deposited by the Administrator to the credit of the fund.

(e) Annual budget

An annual business-type budget for the fund shall be prepared, transmitted to the Congress, considered, and enacted in the manner prescribed by sections 9103 and 9104 of title 31 for wholly-owned Government corporations.

(f) Availability of funds dependent on future appropriations acts

The fund shall be available, with respect to any fiscal year beginning on or after October 1, 1981, only to the extent approved in appropriation Acts; except that the fund shall be available for the purpose described in subsection (d)(1) without such approval.