Bill > SB2409

This bill, known as the "Strengthen Mississippi Homes Act," establishes a comprehensive program within the Mississippi Department of Insurance to help homeowners retrofit their insurable homes to better withstand catastrophic windstorm events like hurricanes and tornadoes. The program, renamed from the "Comprehensive Hurricane Damage Mitigation Program," will offer financial grants of up to $10,000 per home to fund retrofitting efforts that meet or exceed the FORTIFIED roof standard set by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS). To qualify for a grant, a dwelling must be a single-family residence, the applicant's primary home, insured for windstorm loss (and flood insurance if in a Special Flood Hazard Area), in good repair (excluding the roof), and not previously retrofitted to the FORTIFIED standard. The bill also creates an advisory council to guide the program, requires operational reports to the Governor and Legislature, and renames the associated fund to the "Strengthen Mississippi Homes Fund." Additionally, it increases the fee for an agent's certificate of authority, with a portion of that fee now directed to the Strengthen Mississippi Homes Fund.