Brief⁽¹⁾

H.B. 2027, as amended, appropriates $2,801,780 from the State General Fund to the Adjutant General in FY 1999 for disaster relief to match federal funds expended due to weather-related incidents mainly in South Central and Northeast Kansas and the DeBruce Grain elevator explosion.

The House Appropriations Committee amended H.B. 2027 to provide the Adjutant General with the discretion and authority, in appropriate cases of local government hardship, for the state to provide the full amount of nonfederal matching moneys required for federal disaster relief.

Background

October 1998 Storm Damage (Northeast Kansas). As the result of storm damage in Northeast Kansas in October 1998, the Governor declared a State of Disaster Emergency for Shawnee, Douglas, Johnson, Franklin, Jefferson, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte Counties. The Governor's action was followed by a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration. A joint federal and state damage assessment team determined that $14,516,667 in federal, state, and local aid should be provided to victims of the October 1998 severe weather incident. The federal government will pay 75 percent of this amount, with 25 percent coming from nonfederal sources (state and local). The state's share of this amount would be $1,676,667. The State Finance Council authorized $801,667 on December 16, 1998 from the State Emergency Fund. The remaining $875,000 (all from the State General Fund) is included in H.B. 2027.

November 1998 Flooding (Mainly, South Central Kansas). Due to flooding from several storms, the Governor declared a State of Disaster Emergency for Butler, Chase, Cowley, Douglas, Lyon, Sedgwick, Cherokee, and Sumner Counties. The Governor's action was followed by a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration. A joint federal/state damage assessment team determined that $18,338,980 in federal, state, and local aid should be provided to victims of the flooding. The federal government will pay 75 percent of this amount, with 25 percent coming from nonfederal sources (state and local). The state's share of this amount would be $3,146,398. The State Finance Council authorized expenditures of $1,260,618 from the State Emergency Fund on December 16, 1998. The remaining $1,885,780 (all from the State General Fund) is included in H.B. 2027.

DeBruce Explosion. The DeBruce Grain Elevator explosion occurred on June 8, 1998 in Sedgwick County. Following the explosion, the President declared an emergency, for which federal assistance would be provided. With a state match, the Adjutant General requested funding of $78,715 for two separate issues related to costs incurred in the explosion of the DeBruce Grain Elevator: the reimbursement of local governments in response to the emergency ($37,715) and the reimbursement of the National Search and Rescue Team ($41,000). On December 16, 1998, the State Finance Council authorized expenditures of $37,715 from the State Emergency Fund. The remaining $41,000 (all from the State General Fund) is included in H.B. 2027.

The following table reflects state matching expenditures recommended by the Governor for the three incidents, the amount released by the State Finance Council, and the amount included in this bill.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html.