Disaster relief technical changes

Lessons learned from last year’s emergency flood relief efforts are the basis for a bill sponsored by Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa).

HF1088 contains a package of proposed changes to laws that govern how the state conducts relief operations for natural disasters. The House Government Operations and Elections Committee approved the bill April 13 and sent it to the House Transportation Policy and Finance Committee.

The provisions are largely technical, and have to do with how different state agencies are allowed to spend disaster relief appropriations.

Kris Eide, director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said she and others involved in drafting last fall’s special session flood relief bill realized the law was in need of updating.

“Those of us that were working on the disaster relief bill realized that there were needs of the communities identified that weren’t adequately addressed in the current (law),” she said.

Examples of changes proposed in the bill include:

• allowing the Health Department to waive the 60-day written notice requirement regarding layaway of nursing home beds;

• restricting the use of money from the Minnesota Investment Fund to address physical damages only;

• allowing certain state funds to be used for demolition and design purposes for reconstruction projects; and

• allowing the Public Safety Department to use flood relief appropriations to help coordinate long-term recovery activities.

Sen. Mike Parry (R-Waseca) sponsors the companion, SF1044, which was laid over April 5 by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.