The IMAGES Act of 2025 seeks to upgrade National Flood Insurance Program rate maps by incorporating planimetric features—such as roads and building footprints—with parcel identification data and, where feasible, addresses. It also requires rate maps to align with the National Spatial Reference System 2022 and establishes a public geospatial data repository that will host raw planimetric and flood-risk data.
In addition, the bill expands the management of stream-flow networks, sets contracting standards for professionals who create the maps, and dedicates a portion of NFIP revenue to elevation data maintenance. These changes are designed to improve flood risk assessment, insurance pricing accuracy, and public access to geospatial information relevant to flood planning and mitigation.
At a Glance
What It Does
It expands NFIP rate-mapping data to include planimetric features with parcel IDs and, where possible, addresses; updates map formats to conform to NSRS 2022; adds stream-flow network requirements; and creates a public geospatial data repository.
Who It Affects
FEMA/NFIP administrators, GIS professionals, property owners in flood-prone areas, mortgage lenders, local and state planners, and private mapping firms that work on flood-risk data.
Why It Matters
The bill promises more accurate flood risk visualization and assessment, enabling better decision-making for insurance, lending, and land-use planning, while increasing public data transparency and standardization across agencies.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The IMAGES Act of 2025 sets out a comprehensive modernization of NFIP flood risk mapping. First, it requires planimetric features—such as roads and building footprints—to be mapped with parcel identification data, and it aims to include addresses wherever practicable using public and private data sources.
This expands the data footprint of rate maps beyond elevations and exteriors, enabling more precise spatial queries and risk assessments. Second, the bill updates the format of rate maps to align with the NSRS 2022 system and to meet standard GIS protocols, with a five-year window after NSRS 2022 is completed for full conformance.
Third, it introduces enhanced data about stream-flow networks—coordinating with USGS to ensure operational stream gages, adding new stations in high-risk areas, reactivating inactive ones, and speeding up real-time data feeds. Fourth, the Act creates a national geospatial data repository on FEMA’s site that provides raw data underlying planimetric features, parcel data, flood risks, depth grids, and related products, with multi-level detail and search capabilities.
Finally, it adds funding flexibility by allocating a portion of NFIP revenue toward elevation data needs to keep rate maps current and credible, while enforcing qualifications-based contracting for mapping work. Taken together, these provisions aim to improve the fidelity and timeliness of flood risk information used by insurers, lenders, planners, and the public.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill requires planimetric features to include parcel identification data and, to the extent possible, addresses.
Rate maps must conform to NSRS 2022 within a defined timeframe after NSRS completion.
A public geospatial data repository will house raw and derived flood-data products for public use.
Coordinated upgrades to stream-flow networks will improve real-time flood data and risk assessments.
5% of NFIP revenue will be allocated to creating or maintaining current and accurate rate maps.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Inclusion of planimetric features in rate maps
The bill expands rate maps to include planimetric features (such as roads and building footprints) and links them to parcel identification data. It requires that, for each planimetric feature, the associated parcel data be attached and, where feasible, the feature’s address be included using public or private address data. This deepens map context beyond topography and elevation, enabling more precise location attribution and risk assessment for property holdings.
Format of rate maps
Rate maps must be updated to be consistent with the National Spatial Reference System 2022, with a concrete deadline of not later than five years after NSRS 2022 completion. In addition, the data must be spatially accurate in line with standard GIS protocols. This ensures uniform data structures, interoperability, and reliable cross-agency use.
Stream Flow Networks
The Administrator must coordinate with the USGS to maintain stream flow networks critical to the NFIP. The network should be densified with new gage stations in high-risk areas, reactivated where inactive, and supported by faster geospatial real-time data feeds. This enhances hydrologic inputs for flood risk modeling and insurance determinations.
Availability of data to the public
The bill directs FEMA to host a national geospatial data repository that provides access to raw data for planimetric features and parcel data, multi-level detail, flood risks, flood elevations, hazards and mitigation data, and related products. It also requires documentation of models, structure footprints, depth grids, Hazus analyses, and other flood-risk outputs, aiming for consistency and broad public access.
Qualifications-based contracting and definitions
The act requires contracting for program management, architectural and engineering services, or surveying and mapping to follow qualifications-based procurement standards. It also defines terms used in surveying and mapping, including planimetric features and parcel data, to ensure consistent interpretation and scope across projects.
Funding for elevation data
The act authorizes quarterly allocation from the National Flood Insurance Fund—equal to 5 percent of revenue collected under section 1308(b)(3)—for creating or maintaining current and accurate NFIP rate maps. This creates a dedicated funding stream for ongoing elevation data improvements and map upkeep.
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Explore Infrastructure in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- FEMA/NFIP program administrators gain clearer, more precise flood maps that improve underwriting and risk communication.
- Mortgage lenders benefit from higher-quality risk assessments, enabling more accurate pricing and underwriting decisions.
- Property owners in flood-prone areas gain access to more granular risk data and property-level risk signals.
- Local and state planners gain standardized, up-to-date parcel and planimetric data to inform zoning, mitigation, and resilience planning.
- GIS professionals and private mapping firms gain new data sources and potential work streams tied to updated standards and public data access.
Who Bears the Cost
- NFIP funding is diverted by the 5% allocation to elevation data, potentially reducing funds available for other NFIP activities.
- Private sector data providers and mapping firms may incur higher costs to meet expanded data standards and data-sharing requirements.
- Federal and agency coordinating costs rise due to ongoing USGS coordination, data repository maintenance, and cross-agency governance.
- State and local governments may incur costs to align their data with new standards and to participate in the data-sharing regime.
- Public costs increase for maintaining an accessible national geospatial repository and ensuring data quality and governance.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central tension is between ambitious, data-rich modernization of flood risk information and the practical realities of funding, data governance, and interagency coordination. High-resolution, publicly accessible data can improve decision-making but demands careful management to ensure accuracy, privacy, and sustainable implementation.
The bill accelerates data modernization across flood risk mapping, but that acceleration comes with governance and cost challenges. Expanding planimetric data and parcel-level information raises questions about data ownership, accuracy across multiple data sources, and the operational burden of maintaining large, granular datasets.
The NSRS 2022 conformance deadline depends on the timing of the NSRS update, which could affect implementation schedules. The stream-flow network enhancements require sustained collaboration with USGS and reliable funding to avoid gaps in real-time data, which are critical for timely flood assessments.
Funding the elevation-data initiative through NFIP revenues creates a dedicated pool for data improvements, but it also reallocates funds from other NFIP needs and could impact broader program priorities unless carefully managed. Finally, the public data repository increases transparency and access, but agencies must balance openness with data governance, privacy considerations around parcel data, and ensuring user-friendly tools for non-technical stakeholders.
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