BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Tom Torlakson, Chairman
296 (Dutton)
Hearing Date: 5/31/07 Amended: A I
Consultant: Bob Franzoia Policy Vote: GO 8-0
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BILL SUMMARY: SB 296 would rename the Disaster Resistant
Communities Account as the Disaster Resistant Community Fund.
The bill would delete the requirement that specified disaster
preparedness activities undertaken by the Office of Emergency
Services (OES) utilizing this fund be contingent upon receipt of
donations to the Disaster Resistant Communities Fund.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 Fund
Funding shift for specified $100
$200$200Federal/
disaster preparedness In-kind
activities
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STAFF COMMENTS: SUSPENSE FILE. AS PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED.
Pursuant to Chapter 232/2005 (SB 546/Dutton) the OES may include
private businesses and nonprofit organizations within its
responsibilities to prepare the state for disasters. All
participation by businesses and nonprofit associations in this
program shall be voluntary and all activities undertaken by OES
shall be contingent upon the receipt of donations to the DRCA.
This bill would delete that provision thereby shifting some or
all of the cost of these activities from the Disaster Resistant
Communities Account to the General Fund or to federal funds
received by OES.
To date, OES has not received any donations to the DRCA. The
fiscal impact noted above reflects action by the Budget and
Fiscal Review Committee to reduce the level of appropriation
authority to $200,000 and to adopt the following budget language
requiring an expenditure plan of any funds in excess of this
amount and a 30 day Joint Legislative Budget Committee approval
notification:
0690-001-8039--For support of Office of Emergency Services,
payable from the Disaster Resistant Communities Account......
1,000,000 200,000
Provisions: 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, The
Department of Finance may authorize the augmentation of the
total amount available for expenditure under this item in the
amount of any donations from the private sector received by the
Office of Emergency Services for the purposes of public/private
partnerships pursuant to Chapter 232, Statutes of 2005 that are
in excess of the amount appropriated by this item. Any such
augmentation shall be accompanied by a spending plan submitted
by the Office of
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SB 296 (Dutton)
Emergency Services. The spending plan shall include, at a
minimum, the source and level of donations received to date, a
detailed description of activities already completed and those
activities proposed, the source and amount of any additional
donations expected to be received, and the identification of any
impact of the spending plan on other state funds. An approval of
an augmentation of this item shall not be effective sooner than
30 days prior to the transmittal of the approval and spending
plan to the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget
Committee, or not sooner than whatever lesser time the
chairperson of the joint committee, or his or her designee, may
determine.
The proposed amendments would specify that the outreach program
shall be implemented to the extent that in-kind contributions or
donations are available from the private sector or grant funds
are available from the federal government.