PEMCO, a Seattle-based insurance company, will voluntarily disclose vehicle flood damage information to the public, according to a release from the company. The statement comes amidst recent flooding in the Pacific Northwest and the Eastern U.S. and brings increased awareness to the problem of flooded vehicles reentering the consumer market.

The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) said it has been pressing the U.S. Congress since the Gulf Hurricanes of 2005 for new federal legislation which would require insurance companies to disclose total loss information to the public so that problem vehicles are red-flagged forever. The problem also has been covered extensively in Claims (click here and here for more information).

House bill 6093, introduced by U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R- Fla .), would require The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to disclose all information pertaining to the fair market value and safety of damaged vehicles and contracts canceled on a passenger vehicle due to damage or theft. The information would include the vehicle identification number, the date the contract was terminated, odometer reading on the date of the termination of the contract, whether any of the airbags were deployed, and the cause of the termination of the contract. Among reasons for termination include damage caused by water, collision, fire, and theft and recovery.