By Mark A. Hofmann - Business Insurance, March 11, 2009

The program had been slated to expire last week after the Senate failed to pass its omnibus spending bill, but a continuing resolution approved by the House and Senate extended the program temporarily through Wednesday. The Senate's approval of the omnibus spending bill rendered that deadline moot.

The House and Senate passed separate extension bills in the last Congress but could not reach agreement on whether the program should be expanded to include windstorm coverage, a move opposed by most of the insurance industry. A bill that would require the program to offer wind coverage was introduced earlier this month by Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss.

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