Bill > SB390

This bill modifies the rules for how money from the West Virginia Flood Resiliency Trust Fund can be spent, aiming to improve the state's ability to handle floods. The State Resiliency Officer, who is in charge of managing flood resiliency efforts, will have the authority to distribute funds from this trust fund to individuals, state agencies, local governments, or organizations. These disbursements must be used to implement the state's Flood Resiliency Plan, which is a comprehensive strategy for addressing flood risks. The bill clarifies that these funds are specifically for building flood resilience against current and future flood events. It also outlines that payments will only be made with the explicit approval of the State Resiliency Officer, and that disbursements must be for valid flood resiliency activities that are prioritized in the most recent Flood Resiliency Plan, which has been reviewed and approved by the State Resiliency Office Board. The bill also specifies that funds can be used for enhancing flood prevention, safety, or protection, and allows the State Resiliency Office to use some funds for its own management costs. Additionally, disbursements should prioritize benefiting low-income areas or areas with a history of frequent or significant flooding. The bill also expands the types of flood resiliency projects that can be funded, including nature-based solutions like acquiring properties in flood-prone areas for relocation and floodplain restoration, and sets conditions for political subdivisions (local governments) to receive funds, such as adopting specific flood hazard bylaws, local hazard mitigation plans, and emergency operations plans, and achieving a certain rating in FEMA's community rating system. Ultimately, the prioritization and specific conditions for these disbursements will be determined by the State Resiliency Officer and approved by the State Resiliency Office Board.

Government Affairs

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=390&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill