BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1228
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Current statute provides that the state is not required to reimburse cities for the cost of opening and operating emergency shelters for evacuees resulting from a state-ordered or state-recommended evacuation. Cities are eligible for 75 percent of eligible reimbursement only when a federal disaster declaration is issued. Under a federal disaster declaration, expenses such as straight-time salary for employees and loss of revenue for public facilities are not considered eligible.
As proposed, S.B. 1228 requires the state to provide financial assistance and reimburse cities that provide emergency shelters for persons from outside the host city in response to a state-ordered evacuation.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 418.004, Government Code, by adding Subdivision (6-a) to define "public facility."
SECTION 2. Amends Section 418.020, Government Code, as follows:
Sec. 418.020. New heading: TEMPORARY HOUSING AND EMERGENCY SHELTER. (a) Makes no changes to this subsection.
(b) Includes emergency shelters provided by a political subdivision for disaster victims as items for which the governor is authorized to provide assistance to the political subdivision.
(c) Makes a conforming change.
(d) Makes conforming changes.
(e) Requires a political subdivision that is the locus of temporary housing or emergency shelters for persons moved or evacuated by recommendation or order of the governor to be assisted by any resource available to the state to ensure the political subdivision receives an advance or reimbursement of certain expenses and amounts paid for salaries.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2007.