HB 297

Under existing law, $180,000 is appropriated automatically from the state General Fund to the Emergency Forest Fire, Insect and Disease Fund at the beginning of each fiscal year. Also under existing law, this emergency fund can not exceed a total accumulated amount of $1,000,000

This bill would increase the automatic appropriated amount from the General Fund provided to the Emergency Forest Fire, Insect and Disease Fund at the beginning of each fiscal year to $250,000 annually and would also increase the maximum accumulated amount in the fund to $2,000,000

To amend Section 9-3-10.1, Code of Alabama 1975, to increase the automatic appropriated amount to the Emergency Forest Fire, Insect and Disease Fund from the General Fund; and to increase the cap of the maximum accumulated amount of the fund.

Section 1

Section 9-3-10.1, Code of Alabama 1975, is amended to read as follows:

§9-3-10.1.

(a) There is hereby established an Emergency Forest Fire, Insect and Disease Fund into which there is automatically appropriated $180,000.00 two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) annually at the beginning of each state fiscal year. The state Comptroller shall transfer said moneys from the General Fund to such the emergency fund annually at the beginning of each state fiscal year. Said The emergency fund shall not exceed a total accumulated amount of $1,000,000.00 two million dollars ($2,000,000). The moneys in said the fund may be expended from time to time to meet emergency forest fire, insect and disease needs as deemed necessary by the State Forester and Governor. The moneys expended from said the fund for such the emergency needs shall be automatically replenished and are hereby appropriated from the General Fund annually to the extent of $180,000.00 two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) per year at the beginning of each state fiscal year until the said $1,000,000.00 two million dollars ($2,000,000) ceiling is reached. The state Comptroller shall make the transfer to replenish the funds within a period of one week following the commencement of each state fiscal year.

(b) The moneys appropriated herein may be expended for salaries, capital expenditures, or any other category of expenditures deemed necessary by the State Forester for emergency forest fire, insect, and disease suppression and control. This money All moneys appropriated under this section shall be conditional upon and subject to approval of the Governor."

Section 2

This act shall become effective on the first day of the third month following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.