SB43 Alabama 2018 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Greg AlbrittonSenator

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

SB 43 expands local emergency powers and creates new disaster recovery funding programs to help individuals and certain private nonprofit facilities with emergency protective measures after disasters, with added rulemaking requirements.

What This Bill Does

Authorizes the chair or president of a political subdivision to sign an emergency declaration on behalf of the governing body when the Governor or Legislature has declared a state of emergency. Revises how the Alabama Disaster Recovery Fund can be used by adding a program to provide financial assistance to individuals and certain private nonprofit facilities for emergency protective measures and related needs, and creates new rules for such distributions. Requires the Alabama Disaster Recovery Program Committee to adopt rules under the Administrative Procedure Act for eligibility, application, approval, and reimbursement procedures, including possible use of funds as federal matching funds and reimbursement of daily administrative costs. Establishes 31-9-86 to implement these new programs and requires committee to adopt rules and set procedures before distributions, with rules taking effect January 1 after final adoption and applying to events after that date; and specifies that events before the rules’ effective date are not reimbursed.

Who It Affects

• Local political subdivisions (counties and municipalities): gain authority for their chair or president to declare emergency conditions on behalf of the governing body and to use the powers outlined for emergency management during a declared state of emergency.
• Residents and certain private nonprofit facilities affected by disasters: may receive financial assistance from the Alabama Disaster Recovery Fund for emergency protective measures and for mitigation projects, subject to eligibility and rules.
• Alabama Emergency Management Agency and the Alabama Disaster Recovery Program Committee: must develop and administer new rules, establish procedures, and manage reimbursements and funding for mitigation and administrative costs.
• Counties/municipalities and local emergency management personnel: must meet certain planning requirements (emergency operations plan, debris management plan, hazard mitigation plan, and NFIP coverage where available) to qualify for recovery fund assistance.

Key Provisions

• Authorizes the chair/president of a political subdivision to execute a resolution declaring emergency conditions on behalf of the governing body when a state of emergency is proclaimed by the Governor or Legislature.
• Expands and clarifies uses of the Alabama Disaster Recovery Fund by establishing a program to provide financial assistance to individuals and certain private nonprofit facilities for emergency protective measures and to support mitigation projects, and to reimburse certain administrative costs.
• Adds Section 31-9-86 to authorize the Disaster Recovery Program Committee to implement rules and procedures for providing assistance to individuals or private nonprofit facilities, for reimbursing mitigation projects and administrative costs, and for using recovery funds as federal matching funds where applicable; rules must include eligibility, applications, approvals, and reimbursement processes and be adopted under the Administrative Procedure Act.
• Rules adopted under 31-9-86 become effective January 1 after final adoption and apply to events occurring after that date; the committee must meet within 90 days after a funding source for the Disaster Recovery Fund is enacted; no reimbursement is allowed for events before the rules' effective date.

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