St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed House File 1278, authored by State Representative Gene Pelowski (DFL - Winona), which allocates $40 million to replenish the state’s Disaster Assistance Contingency Account. The bill passed on a bipartisan vote of 126-0.
“When disasters strike outside of the regular legislative session, this account is a crucial tool for ensuring impacted communities receive support in a timely manner,” said Rep. Pelowski. “There is nothing special about a special session, and since many towns in Minnesota are unable to address the damage of a devastating flood, fire, or storm on their own, adequately replenishing this account before the regular session ends is imperative.”
The Disaster Assistance Contingency Account, signed into law in 2014, expedites assistance to communities burdened with damages to public property and infrastructure like roads, utilities, and public buildings. Prior to the passage of the law, the Minnesota Legislature was required to convene each time a disaster was declared in order to appropriate funds toward community recovery efforts, often in a special session.
A video recording of the floor debate is available on the House Public Information YouTube page.
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