The disaster contingency fund can be used for disaster assistance, and certain government entities may request funding from it.
Sec. 418.073. DISASTER CONTINGENCY FUND. (a) The disaster contingency fund consists of money appropriated to the fund. (b) It is the intent of the legislature that in responding to an emergency or disaster, the first recourse of state and local agencies should be to the funds regularly appropriated to those agencies. Text of subsection as added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 992 (S.B. 1339), Sec. 1 (c) The purposes for which money in the disaster contingency fund may be used include making funds available to a state or local agency that will use the funds to provide assistance to producers of agricultural products affected by or recovering from a disaster caused by severe drought, wildfire, flood, storm, or hurricane. In this subsection, "agricultural products" includes: (1) horticultural, viticultural, forestry, dairy, livestock, poultry, and bee products, including products of exotic livestock as defined by Section 161.001, Agriculture Code; and (2) any farm or ranch product, including a product produced by aquaculture as defined by Section 134.001, Agriculture Code. Text of subsection as added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1250 (H.B. 2694), Sec. 1, and amended by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1006 (H.B. 4102), Sec. 1 (c) A state or local government entity that participates in disaster preparation or disaster recovery may request and receive funding from the disaster contingency fund to pay for costs incurred by the state or local government entity in preparing for or recovering from a disaster. (d) The division shall administer the disaster contingency fund and shall develop and implement rules and procedures for providing emergency assistance from the fund. The division shall annually report to the speaker of the house of representatives and the lieutenant governor expenditures from the fund, the overall status of the fund, and any changes to rules and procedures regarding the fund. (f) A state or local government entity or other eligible entity that receives funding from the disaster contingency fund to pay for costs associated with disaster recovery and that subsequently receives reimbursement from the federal government, an insurer, or another source for those same costs shall reimburse the disaster contingency fund for the reimbursed amounts. In developing rules and procedures under Subsection (d) the governor's division of emergency management shall prescribe accounting and other procedures necessary to efficiently and effectively implement this subsection. (g) Money in the disaster contingency fund may be used to pay for a disaster risk financing instrument using a parametric index based on affected population to leverage available funds and receive proceeds greater than appropriated amounts to pay for extraordinary expenses. (h) Money in the disaster contingency fund may be used to provide to a local government entity that is suffering financial hardship as a result of a disaster declared under this chapter funds for the purpose of providing local matching funds for Federal Emergency Management Agency qualifying projects. Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 147, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 992 (S.B. 1339), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2007. Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1250 (H.B. 2694), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2007. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1006 (H.B. 4102), Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1006 (H.B. 4102), Sec. 2, eff. June 19, 2009. Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1146 (H.B. 2730), Sec. 2B.05, eff. September 1, 2009.