Bill Text - SB471 (2018)

Relative to the authority of municipalities to address potential natural threats.


Revision: Dec. 20, 2017, 2:06 p.m.

SB 471  - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2018 SESSION

18-2934

08/05

 

SENATE BILL 471

 

AN ACT relative to the authority of municipalities to address potential natural threats.

 

SPONSORS: Sen. Giuda, Dist 2; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. French, Dist 7; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Gray, Dist 6; Sen. Reagan, Dist 17; Sen. Ward, Dist 8; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Rep. Hinch, Hills. 21; Rep. L. Ober, Hills. 37; Rep. Ladd, Graf. 4

 

COMMITTEE: Finance

 

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ANALYSIS

 

This bill creates a procedure for issuing exceptional disaster relief loans.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

18-2934

08/05

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Eighteen

 

AN ACT relative to the authority of municipalities to address potential natural threats.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  New Section; Exceptional Disaster Relief Loan.  Amend RSA 21-P by inserting after section 37-b the following new section:

21-P:37-c  Exceptional Disaster Relief Loans.

I.  In this section, an "exceptional disaster relief loan" means a temporary loan from the state treasury to assist communities experiencing exceptional costs due to natural disasters.

II.(a)  When a federal disaster has been declared and a municipality has applied for federal emergency assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), the governor, with the approval of the executive council, shall  approve a loan in the amount up to the anticipated assistance from FEMA from funds not otherwise appropriated.  

(b)  In order to be eligible for an exceptional disaster relief loan, the per-occurance cost of a municipality's critical disaster relief project or projects shall equal or exceed 25 percent of the amount raised by local property taxes in the municipality's last annual budget.

III.  A municipality shall not receive more than one exceptional disaster relief loan per declared federal disaster.

IV.  A municipality shall not be obligated for more than 2 exceptional disaster relief loans.

V.  A municipality receiving an exceptional disaster relief loan shall remit the anticipated assistance from FEMA to the state treasurer within 15 days of receipt.

VI.  If the amount of FEMA assistance a municipality receives is less than the exceptional disaster relief loan, the state treasurer, with the advice and consent of governor and council, shall negotiate terms of repayment of the difference.  If the municipality and the state treasurer are unable to reach an agreement, the department of revenue administration shall include the amount in the amount apportioned for setting property tax rates.  

VII.  The director of homeland security shall administer the exceptional disaster relief program.

2  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.