| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | SENATE BILL 42 |
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| 6 | 5 | | By Walley |
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| 7 | 6 | | |
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| 8 | 7 | | |
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| 9 | 8 | | SB0042 |
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| 10 | 9 | | 000228 |
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| 11 | 10 | | - 1 - |
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| 12 | 11 | | |
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| 13 | 12 | | AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58, |
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| 14 | 13 | | Chapter 2, Part 1, relative to natural disasters. |
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| 15 | 14 | | |
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| 16 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: |
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| 17 | 16 | | SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58, Chapter 2, Part 1, is amended by |
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| 18 | 17 | | adding the following as a new section: |
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| 19 | 18 | | (a) There is created a program to be administered by the agency that is known |
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| 20 | 19 | | and may be cited as the "State Disaster Relief Program." |
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| 21 | 20 | | (b) A county emergency management agency may request a grant from the |
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| 22 | 21 | | program to help offset the costs incurred by the county in responding to a disaster if: |
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| 23 | 22 | | (1) A disaster has occurred within the county; |
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| 24 | 23 | | (2) The county executive has declared a state of emergency; and |
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| 25 | 24 | | (3) The damages resulting from the disaster do not meet the threshold |
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| 26 | 25 | | for federal disaster relief. |
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| 27 | 26 | | (c) A county receiving a grant under this section may use the money: |
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| 28 | 27 | | (1) To repair or replace public roads, buildings, utilities, and other |
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| 29 | 28 | | infrastructure owned by the local governments; |
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| 30 | 29 | | (2) For emergency measures for saving lives; |
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| 31 | 30 | | (3) To protect public health and safety or property; and |
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| 32 | 31 | | (4) To remove debris from publicly owned land and waterways. |
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| 33 | 32 | | (d) The agency shall evaluate a request for a grant, determine the amount of the |
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| 34 | 33 | | grant, and disburse the grant if the agency determines that the criteria in subsection (b) |
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| 35 | 34 | | have been met. |
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| 36 | 35 | | |
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| 37 | 36 | | |
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| 38 | 37 | | - 2 - 000228 |
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| 39 | 38 | | |
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| 40 | 39 | | (e) Grants under this section are contingent upon the availability of funds that |
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| 41 | 40 | | have been specifically allocated for the program in the general appropriations act. It is |
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| 42 | 41 | | the legislative intent that appropriations to the program recur on a yearly basis. |
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| 43 | 42 | | (f) A county must not receive more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars |
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| 44 | 43 | | ($250,000) in grant disbursements under this section in a fiscal year. |
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| 45 | 44 | | (g) As used in this section: |
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| 46 | 45 | | (1) "Disaster" means a hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind- |
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| 47 | 46 | | driven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, |
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| 48 | 47 | | mudslide, snowstorm, ice storm, drought, fire, explosion, civil disturbance, or |
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| 49 | 48 | | other catastrophe that causes or may cause substantial damage or injury to |
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| 50 | 49 | | property; and |
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| 51 | 50 | | (2) "Program" means the state disaster relief program created in |
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| 52 | 51 | | subsection (a). |
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| 53 | 52 | | SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. |
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