Bill > H0679

This bill aims to bolster flood preparedness and response in Vermont by providing financial and technical assistance to municipalities and homeowners. It mandates that the Division of Emergency Management offer financial aid to communities impacted by flooding, covering immediate response costs and local matching requirements for federal aid, and establishes a Voluntary Buyout Program to purchase flood-prone properties at fair market value and a Homeowner Assistance Program to fund elevation, relocation, or flood-resilient rebuilding for affected residents. Additionally, the bill authorizes the Agency of Transportation to use the Municipal Mitigation Assistance Program to help rural and flood-prone towns upgrade infrastructure like highways and bridges to better handle high water flow and create emergency access routes, while also providing technical and design assistance for these projects, including stormwater management systems and specialized flood resiliency improvements. The Agency of Natural Resources will also implement programs to improve stream flow and naturalize river corridors to reduce flood risks, and the bill creates two new positions within the Division of Emergency Management: a Municipal Grant Liaison to help towns secure funding and a Flood Mitigation Technician to support engineering and project oversight, with specific appropriations for these positions and for general flood recovery in Essex and Orleans Counties.