Illinois House Bill HB3024

Illinois 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/6/25
• Refer: 2/6/25
• Refer: 3/4/25
• Refer: 3/21/25

Caption

SUPPLEMENTAL DISASTER RELIEF

Summary

HB3024 would amend the Illinois Disaster Relief Act to authorize the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security to provide state supplemental grants to individuals and households affected by a federally declared disaster. The grants are intended to cover disaster-related necessary expenses or serious needs when those costs are not fully met by federal assistance under Section 408 of the Stafford Act or by other sources. The bill limits eligibility to people and households that the agency determines are eligible for federal disaster assistance, have unmet serious needs, and have losses reimbursable under the federal program that exceed the maximum federal grant amount. It also directs the agency to establish the application and other requirements for the grants, giving the state a mechanism to fill gaps left by federal aid after major disasters.

Impact

If enacted, HB3024 would add a new section to the Disaster Relief Act and expand the authority of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security to issue state-funded supplemental disaster grants. The measure would not replace federal disaster aid, but would supplement it for eligible residents whose disaster-related needs exceed federal grant limits or remain unmet after other assistance is considered. It would primarily affect disaster survivors, households with significant losses, and the state agency responsible for administering emergency assistance.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to be framed in a broadly supportive, relief-oriented way. Its purpose is straightforward and humanitarian: to help residents recover from disasters when federal aid is insufficient. There is no evidence in the provided record of organized opposition, amendments, or divided voting, so the available context suggests a neutral-to-positive reception, or at least no documented controversy at this stage.

Contention

The main policy issue raised by the bill is fiscal and administrative rather than ideological: it would create a state grant program that could require additional state resources and agency rulemaking to define eligibility and application procedures. Another possible point of contention is how narrowly the grants are targeted, since eligibility is limited to those already found eligible for federal assistance and with losses above the federal maximum. No specific objections, supporters, or committee concerns are included in the provided record, so any contention is only inferable from the structure of the program itself.