HB56 Alabama 2018 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Nathaniel LedbetterRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2018

Title

Alabama Disaster Recovery Program, established to assist counties and municipalities with disaster recovery, committee to administer, Sec. 31-9-86 added; Secs. 31-9-10, 31-9-83 am'd.

Summary

HB 56 would let local leaders declare emergencies on behalf of their governments during statewide emergencies, expand disaster recovery fund uses, and create a program to help individuals and certain private nonprofits with emergency-related costs.

What This Bill Does

It authorizes the chair or president of a political subdivision to sign a resolution declaring emergency conditions when the Governor or Legislature has proclaimed a state of emergency. It revises how the Alabama Disaster Recovery Program can spend money, expanding uses to cover emergency protective measures for individuals and certain private nonprofit facilities, and establishes a new program funded by the Alabama Disaster Recovery Fund for such assistance. It requires the Disaster Recovery Program Committee to adopt rules to govern these programs, including eligibility, procedures, and the potential use of federal matching funds, and adds a new section detailing additional purposes for the recovery fund such as mitigation projects and admin cost reimbursement.

Who It Affects

• Counties and municipalities: gain authority to enact emergency declarations through local leaders and may waiv e certain procedures and use funds during emergencies.
• Alabama Emergency Management Agency and local emergency management programs: responsible for administering new programs, rules, and reimbursement of administrative costs.
• Individual Alabama residents and eligible private nonprofit facilities: potential recipients of financial assistance for emergency protective measures and mitigation projects after disasters.
• The Alabama Disaster Recovery Program Committee: must establish rules and oversee the expanded uses of the Disaster Recovery Fund.

Key Provisions

• The chair or president of a political subdivision may execute a resolution declaring emergency conditions on behalf of the governing body when a state of emergency has been proclaimed by the Governor or Legislature.
• The Alabama Disaster Recovery Fund may be used to reimburse emergency protective measures for individuals and certain private nonprofit facilities, and the Committee may establish a program to provide such assistance from the Disaster Recovery Fund.
• A new Section 31-9-86 authorizes additional purposes for the Disaster Recovery Program, including individual resident assistance after disasters, funding for mitigation projects, and reimbursement of day-to-day administrative costs, with rules to govern eligibility and applications.
• Disbursement rules include eligibility prerequisites (emergency plans, debris management, hazard mitigation plans, certified local emergency management director, NFIP coverage if available), and limits (no use for matching federal funds; not for general state emergency response except as allowed by rules; per-incident funding caps).
• Rules for the new programs must be adopted under the Administrative Procedure Act, become effective on January 1 after final adoption, and apply to events occurring after rules take effect; pre-rule events are not reimbursed.
• The act becomes effective immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Counties