Bill > HB2543

This bill modifies Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 9-4-216, concerning the governor's response and recovery fund, by changing the responsible state agency from the commissioner of finance and administration to the director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA). It specifies that money from this fund can be given to eligible local governmental entities (counties, cities, municipalities, metropolitan governments, or local education agencies) and eligible individuals in qualifying counties after an emergency or disaster. To receive funds, local governments must meet several conditions, including a governor-declared state of emergency, a local state of emergency, unavailability or inadequacy of federal aid under the Stafford Act, and local costs exceeding a specific per capita impact indicator set by TEMA, along with a formal request from the local chief elected official. Individual assistance requires a governor-declared emergency, state damage totals unlikely to meet federal thresholds for individual aid, and county costs exceeding a TEMA-determined amount, with a request from the local chief elected official. The bill also clarifies that funds cannot cover insurance deductibles or costs already covered by other sources, outlines eligible project types like debris removal and infrastructure repair, sets a 18-month deadline for project completion, and establishes a local cost-sharing requirement for grants based on county economic status, though the governor can waive this. Loan repayments are to be added back to the fund, and local governments receiving funds must obtain all-risk and flood insurance within 120 days.

Government Affairs

https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/Default?BillNumber=HB2543&ga=114