An Act to Include the Declaration of an Emergency by the President of the United States as a Basis to Allow the Governor to Provide Disaster Relief to Local Governments
Summary
LD 119 amends Maine’s disaster-relief statute governing state assistance to local governmental units. Under current law, the Governor may use these authorities when the President declares that an emergency or major disaster exists in the state. The bill expands that trigger so that a presidential declaration of an emergency alone is also sufficient to activate the Governor’s authority to seek federal public assistance, coordinate state and local cost shares, and help local governments recover from damage to public facilities.
The bill also preserves and restates the existing framework for federal disaster loans to local governments that suffer substantial revenue losses after an emergency or major disaster. In those cases, the Governor may apply for loans on behalf of local governments, receive and disburse loan proceeds, certify the amount needed to restore governmental functions, and recommend cancellation of repayment in limited circumstances after three fiscal years if revenues remain insufficient. The bill does not create a new program so much as broaden the circumstances under which existing disaster-relief tools may be used.
Impact
The bill amends 37-B MRSA §744, subsection 2-A, to add a presidential declaration of an emergency as an independent basis for the Governor to provide disaster relief to local governments. This change expands the state’s ability to access federal public assistance and coordinate state and local financial participation after federally declared emergencies, not just major disasters. It affects the Governor’s authority, local governmental units seeking aid, and the state’s administration of federal disaster assistance and loans.
Sentiment
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded vote history, so there is no documented debate or roll-call sentiment to summarize. Based on the bill’s text, the measure appears administrative and supportive of local disaster recovery, with a likely practical focus on ensuring aid can be accessed more quickly when the President declares an emergency. No opposition or amendments are reflected in the provided materials.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or votes. The main policy issue inherent in the bill is whether the Governor should be able to extend disaster-relief assistance to local governments after a presidential emergency declaration, even when the event is not formally declared a major disaster. Potential concerns, if raised, would likely center on the scope of state financial exposure, the local and state cost-share obligations, and the criteria for federal loan cancellation, but none are attributed to any participant in the record provided.
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide certain fire management assistance to Indian Tribal Governments, and for other purposes.
Natural Disaster Recovery Program Act of 2025This bill establishes Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding sources for unmet needs caused by major disasters, expands FEMA’s assistance for housing and home repair, and requires certain considerations in FEMA’s recommendations on presidential emergency/disaster declarations.The bill establishes the National Disaster Recovery Reserve Fund for FEMA to provide grants to states and Indian tribal governments for unmet need. The bill defines unmet need as any necessary expense for activities related to a declared major disaster, including disaster relief or resilience activities. In addition, the bill authorizes FEMA to set aside funding from the Disaster Relief Fund to provide grants to states and Indian tribal governments for unmet needs resulting from a declared disaster, including home repair, economic recovery measures, and other services assisting disaster victims. Also, the bill makes the following changes regarding housing assistance:authorizes FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program (IHP) to provide home repair assistance directly to homeowners when there is a lack of available housing resources, expands IHP home repair assistance for persons with disabilities, extends the maximum duration of IHP’s direct housing assistance from 18 to 24 months,authorizes IHP permanent housing construction where FEMA considers it a cost-effective alternative, and authorizes minor home repairs in the essential assistance federal agencies may provide following a disaster. Additionally, the bill requires FEMA to give greater weight to local impacts, and events over the past five years, when making recommendations to the President regarding emergency or major disaster declarations.