Section 31-9-81 Program Created; Statewide Emergency Notification System; Alabama Disaster Recovery Fund.

(a) There is created the Alabama Disaster Recovery Program for the 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. (b) 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 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. 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.