SB140

ENGROSSED

By Senator Singleton

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT

Relating to the Alabama Disaster Recovery Program; to amend Sections 31-9-80 and 31-9-81, Code of Alabama 1975; to add Section 31-9-87 to the Code of Alabama 1975; to create and fund a Statewide Emergency Notification System pursuant to cooperation between the Emergency Management Agency and the Alabama Disaster Recovery Program Committee.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:Section 1. Sections 31-9-80 and 31-9-81, Code of Alabama 1975, are amended to read as follows:

§31-9-80.

"As used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

"(1) COMMITTEE. The Alabama Disaster Recovery Program Committee.

"(2) RECOVERY FUND. The Alabama Disaster Recovery Fund.

"(3) RECOVERY PROGRAM. The Alabama Disaster Recovery Program.

"(4) SYSTEM. The Statewide Emergency Notification System authorized in the act adding this amendatory language.

§31-9-81.

"There is hereby created the Alabama Disaster Recovery Program for the purpose purposes of providing financial assistance to eligible counties and municipalities for meeting local needs before, during, and immediately following a disaster that affects a county or municipality. and of establishing, implementing, operating, and maintaining the Statewide Emergency Notification System to facilitate statewide communication of emergency responses, decisions, and warnings of developing emergency situations for the benefit of residents and state and local emergency management agencies. The recovery program shall be funded by the Alabama Disaster Recovery Fund. The Legislature may make appropriations to the recovery fund from State General Fund revenues, available federal monies, revenues made available by future legislative acts, or from any other source available except insurance policy surcharges. All revenues appropriated to the recovery fund shall be paid to the Emergency Management Agency and deposited into a separate fund account. All revenues paid into the recovery fund shall remain in the recovery fund until such time as expended as provided in this article, and shall not revert to the State General Fund or be expended for any purposes other than those set out in this article. All revenues appropriated to the recovery fund, except those funds appropriated pursuant to Section 31-9-87, shall be paid to the Emergency Management Agency and deposited into a separate fund. Distribution of funds, except those funds appropriated pursuant to Section 31-9-87, shall be made to eligible counties and municipalities pursuant to procedures established by the Emergency Management Agency in accordance with this article. The recovery fund revenues shall be expended for purposes set out in Section 31-9-83. All revenues appropriated to the recovery fund pursuant to Section 31-9-87 shall be paid to the Emergency Management Agency and deposited into a separate fund which shall be known as the Alabama Statewide Emergency Notification System Fund and shall be expended only as provided in Section 31-9-87."

Section 2. Section 31-9-87 is added to the Code of Alabama 1975, to read as follows:

§31-9-87.

(a) Funds shall be appropriated by the Legislature to the Alabama Statewide Emergency Notification System Fund within the recovery fund for the purposes of establishing, implementing, maintaining, and operating the system, and, thereafter, shall be appropriated annually by the Legislature for continuous maintenance and operation of the system. Funding for the system may also be derived from gifts, federal grants, other appropriations from the Legislature, fees and contributions from users, or any other sources permitted by law. Any disbursement from the Alabama Statewide Emergency Notification System Fund shall be authorized in advance by the committee.

(b) Within three months after the Legislature appropriates funds for the system, the committee and the State Emergency Management Agency shall jointly develop requirements and specifications for the system. The State Emergency Management Agency shall provide administrative and technical assistance to the committee.

(c) Any procurement paid in whole or in part with funds from the Alabama Statewide Emergency Notification System Fund shall comply with Article 2, Chapter 16, Title 41, or other law, as applicable.

(d) The State Emergency Management Agency shall serve as the awarding authority for any procurement paid in whole or in part with funds from the Alabama Statewide Emergency Notification System Fund and upon recommendation of the committee, may purchase, lease, acquire, or otherwise implement the system to serve citizens and state and local emergency management agencies.

(e) The committee shall submit an annual report to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate Minority Leader, and the House Minority Leader detailing all expenditures in the previous fiscal year, the operation of the program, and its role in Alabama's overall system of preparation, response, and recovery from emergency situations.

Section 3. This act shall become effective immediately following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.

Emergencies

Emergency Management Agency

Disasters

Statewide Emergency Notification System

Code Added

Code Amended