North Carolina HB 786: Emergency Management Changes.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2019
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH10434-MM-81

Short Title: Emergency Management Changes. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Jones, Bell, Szoka, and Hunter (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:

*DRH10434-MM-81*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO MAKE CHANGES TO LAWS RELATED TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, 2
AS RECOMMENDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
5
PART I. FLEXIBILITY FOR NORTH CAROLINA OFFICE OF RECOVERY AND 6
RESILIENCY (NCORR) HOUSING FUNDING TO BE USED FOR MULTIFAMILY 7
HOUSING 8
SECTION 1.1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law or a provision of the 9
Committee Report described in Section 6.1 of S.L. 2018-136, funds allocated to the Department 10
of Public Safety, Office of Recovery and Resiliency, the Homeowner Repair and Rehabilitation 11
Fund, may be used for the development of affordable rental and owner-occupied single and 12
multifamily housing. 13
14
PART II. EXPAND USE OF HURRICANE MATTHEW DISASTER RELIEF ACT 15
(DRA) FUNDS TO SUBSEQUENT DISASTERS AND ALLOW THOSE FUNDS TO BE 16
USED BEFORE A SURVIVOR IS FOUND TO BE INELIGIBLE FOR OTHER 17
RESOURCES 18
SECTION 2.1. Section 2 of S.L. 2017-119 reads as rewritten: 19
"SECTION 2. Applicability. – (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this 20
act applies in the North Carolina counties that were any of the following: 21
(1) Declared a major disaster by the President of the United States under the 22
Stafford Act (P.L. 93-288) as a result of Hurricane Matthew, wildfires in the 23
western part of the State, Tropical Storm Julia, or Tropical Storm 24
Hermine.Hermine, or any subsequent storm. 25
(2) Part of the emergency area set forth in any of the following gubernatorial 26
executive orders: Executive Order No. 97 (September 1, 2016), Executive 27
Order No. 103 (September 22, 2016), Executive Order No. 107 (October 3, 28
2016), Executive Order No. 115 (November 16, 2016), or Executive Order 29
No. 116." 30
SECTION 2.2. Section 4 of S.L. 2017-119 reads as rewritten: 31
"SECTION 4. Limitation. – The Governor may not use the funds described in this act to 32
make budget adjustments under G.S. 143C-6-4 or to make reallocations under 33
G.S. 166A-19.40(c). Nothing in this act shall be construed to prohibit the Governor from 34
exercising the Governor's authority under these statutes with respect to funds other than those 35
described in this act. 36
H.B. 786
Apr 16, 2019
HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2019
Page 2 DRH10434-MM-81
The Governor shall also ensure that funds allocated in this act are expended in a manner that 1
does not adversely affect any person's or entity's eligibility for federal funds that are made 2
available, or that are anticipated to be made available, duplicate federal disaster benefits already 3
provided to a person or entity as a result of Hurricane Matthew, the western North Carolina 4
wildfires, or Tropical Storms Julia and Hermine. The Governor shall also, to the extent 5
practicable, avoid using State funds to cover costs that will be, or likely will be, covered by 6
federal funds.Hermine, or any subsequent storm." 7
8
PART III. PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY FOR HURRICANE MATTHEW AND 9
HURRICANE FLORENCE DRA FUNDS TO BE USED AT ALL INCOME LEVELS 10
SECTION 3.1. Section 1 of S.L. 2017-119 reads as rewritten: 11
"SECTION 1. If Senate Bill 257 of the 2017 Regular Session becomes law, one hundred 12
million dollars ($100,000,000) reserved as Supplemental Disaster Recovery Funds in that act 13
shall be allocated as follows: 14
(1) Housing. – Twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000) to be allocated to the 15
following agencies and entities for housing-related matters: 16
a. Twenty million dollars ($20,000,000) to the Department of Public 17
Safety, Division of Emergency Management, for the following: 18
1. For repair of owner-occupied low- to moderate-income 19
housing not covered by Community Development Block Grant 20
Disaster Recovery Program funding. 21
2. For repair of low- to moderate-income rental housing not 22
covered by Community Development Block Grant Disaster 23
Recovery Program funding. 24
3. To be used for housing elevation, acquisition, and mitigation 25
reconstruction for homes not covered by Hazard Mitigation 26
Grant Program. 27
4. To provide State Acquisition Relocation funds, which enable 28
low- to moderate-income homeowners to purchase homes. 29
5. To provide flood insurance subsidies. 30
6. To provide temporary housing for storm victims. 31
7. To hire Community Development Specialists to administer 32
programs authorized under this act and under S.L. 2016-124. 33
8. To provide repairs to public housing in Princeville and 34
Lumberton." 35
SECTION 3.2. Section 5.6(b) of S.L. 2018-5 reads as rewritten: 36
"(5) Housing. – Twenty-five million fourteen thousand seven hundred seventy-six 37
dollars ($25,014,776) to the Department of Public Safety, Division of 38
Emergency Management, for