ST. PAUL— On Monday, January 26, 2015, the Minnesota House passed Senate File 1, a flood disaster bill that includes funds for Chisago County. The $17 million disaster relief bill comes after last summer’s flooding and heavy rains which were severe enough to elicit a federal disaster declaration.
“This bill ensures that areas of the state damaged from last summer’s flooding receive monetary assistance to cover the repairs,” said Rep. Bob Barrett (R-Lindstrom). “The bill passed unanimously in both the House and Senate, and I am pleased that Chisago County and 46 other counties across Minnesota will get the funding they need, with money coming from both the state and federal government.”
Senate File 1, which covers 47 counties and three tribal governments, includes several federal government matches included $13 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, $3 million from the Department of Transportation and $2.5 million from the Board of Water and Soil Resources.
Furthermore, the bill cancels previously enacted but unspent dollars from past natural disaster bills in 2011 and 2012 and provides around $5 million in funding from Minnesota’s natural disaster relief contingency fund. There is an additional new investment of $2.2 million from the state as well.