Texas Governor Proposes $50 Million Disaster Contingency Fund

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has proposed the creation of a $50 million Disaster Contingency Fund to help state and local governments respond to public emergencies.

“As we have learned from disasters like hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as recent wildfires and floods, we can never be too prepared,” Perry said.

The fund would help pay to pre-position state resources before anticipated disasters, reimburse local governments for disasters that aren’t declared federal disasters, provide upfront funding to some smaller jurisdictions, and pay federal matching fund obligations required for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The fund, if approved by legislators, would take effect Sept. 1 and would be distributed by the governor’s emergency management division.