BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 2694
By: Hamilton (Janek)
Transportation & Homeland Security
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
During Hurricane Rita, some East Texas counties faced bankruptcy due to the slow pace of federal reimbursement.
H.B. 2694 provides funds from which local governments are authorized to draw in the event of a disaster that is not declared a federal emergency. The bill also provides a source of funds that local governments are authorized to use to be repaid from federal funds for immediate needs.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the governor's division of emergency management in SECTION 1 (Section 418.073, Government Code) of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 418.073, Government Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (c) and (d), as follows:
(b) Provides that it is the intent of the legislature that in responding to an emergency or disaster, the first recourse of state and local agencies should be to the funds regularly appropriated to those agencies. Deletes existing text providing that if the governor finds that the demands placed on funds regularly appropriated to state and local agencies are unreasonably great for coping with a particular disaster, the governor with the concurrence of the disaster emergency funding board may make funds available from the disaster contingency fund. Makes a nonsubstantive change.
(c) Authorizes a state agency, local government, or other eligible entity to request funding from the disaster contingency fund to pay for certain costs set forth in this subsection.
(d) Requires the governor's division of emergency management to administer the disaster contingency fund and to develop and implement rules and procedures for providing emergency assistance from the fund.
SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.