Tennessee Senate Bill SB0042

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/7/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 58, Chapter 2, Part 1, relative to natural disasters.

Summary

SB0042 creates a new State Disaster Relief Program within Tennessee’s emergency management framework. Under the bill, a county emergency management agency may apply for a grant when a disaster has occurred in the county, the county executive has declared a state of emergency, and the damage does not meet the threshold for federal disaster relief. The program is intended to help counties cover response and recovery costs after smaller-scale disasters that do not qualify for federal assistance. The bill specifies that grant funds may be used for repairing or replacing local public roads, buildings, utilities, and other government-owned infrastructure; for emergency measures to save lives; for actions protecting public health, safety, or property; and for debris removal from publicly owned land and waterways. The agency administering the program would review requests, determine grant amounts, and distribute funds if the statutory criteria are met. Grants are limited to $250,000 per county per fiscal year and depend on money being appropriated in the general appropriations act, with the bill expressing legislative intent for annual recurring appropriations.

Impact

The bill would add a new section to Tennessee Code Annotated Title 58, Chapter 2, Part 1, establishing a state grant program for county disaster response and recovery. It would create a new funding mechanism for local governments facing disasters that fall below federal aid thresholds, expanding state involvement in post-disaster assistance and potentially reducing the financial burden on counties. The measure would also define eligible disasters broadly, covering weather events, geologic events, fires, explosions, civil disturbances, and other catastrophic incidents.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or opposition in the available record. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be framed as a practical local-government aid proposal aimed at helping counties recover from disasters that are too small to trigger federal assistance. The inclusion of annual appropriations language suggests an expectation of ongoing support, which may indicate general policy interest in establishing a stable relief mechanism.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are likely to be fiscal and administrative. Because grants are contingent on annual appropriations, lawmakers could disagree over the cost of creating a recurring state program and whether the $250,000 per-county cap is sufficient or too generous. Another possible issue is eligibility: the bill requires a county emergency management agency request, a county executive emergency declaration, and a disaster that does not meet federal thresholds, which may raise questions about how narrowly the program should be targeted and how the administering agency should evaluate and prioritize requests.