NC Senate approves $700 million disaster relief bill

The North Carolina Senate passed a $700 million Hurricane Helene relief package on Monday evening, in what is likely the final week of legislative action before the General Assembly takes a summer break.

House Bill 1012 passed unanimously in a 47-0 vote on Monday and includes $700 million for the Hurricane Helene Reserve to support housing, infrastructure, schools, emergency response, and flood mitigation in dozens of counties affected by the disasters.

Since the hurricane decimated western North Carolina’s small towns last September, the General Assembly has provided over $1 billion in aid. However, total damages are estimated to stand above $60 billion, with legislators continuing to heavily rely on federal assistance in the recovery process.

House Bill 1012 now returns to the House for approval, but the bill has seen significant changes since the House first introduced the bill in May. Still, because budget negotiations have stalled between the two chambers and could drag on into later in the year, legislators may take greater steps this week to finalize critical legislation that is more time-sensitive, such as disaster relief.

In a press release, Sens. Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell; Warren Daniel, R-Burke; Kevin Corbin, R-Macon; and Tim Moffitt, R-Henderson, commented on the disaster relief bill, noting that there is still more work to be done.

“Since Hurricane Helene hit, the General Assembly has been fully committed to supporting the recovery needs of Western North Carolina,” the senators said jointly. “This package is the latest installment of our commitment to helping our neighbors. There is still plenty of work to be done in the west, and we look forward to working with our colleagues to ensure that our mountain communities can rebuild.”

As outlined in a press release, $480 million will be appropriated for immediate needs, including:

• $5 million to VisitNC for tourism promotion
• $15 million to the NC Forest Service for wildfire assets and preparedness
• $10 million to repair, modify, or remove dams damaged by Hurricane Helene
• $20 million to the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund (PARTF) for state and local parks in the affected area
• $8 million to the Department of Public Instruction for the repair of public school buildings
• $2.47 million for community colleges that experienced enrollment declines in 2024-25 due to Hurricane Helene
• $75 million to repair and replace private roads and bridges; of this, $25 million will be used to reimburse up to 50% of the costs for projects already completed
• $70 million more to continue covering the FEMA state match
• $25 million for unmet local government needs, as well as $15 million for a local government capital grant program for capital projects in the affected area
• $20 million to provide flood-mitigation grants for flood-mitigation projects and engineering assistance grants through the new Hurricane Helene Flood Mitigation Grant Program
• $15 million to the Office of the State Fire Marshal to provide grants to volunteer fire departments and rescue squads
• An additional $100 million to the cashflow loans for local governments program administered by the state treasurer

The bill also includes more than $560 million in repurposed DOT funds for infrastructure recovery needs.

The bill creates several new programs, including a Local Government Capital Grant Program, a Flood Mitigation Grant Program, and an Aerial Asset Accessibility Grant Program for airports aiding in emergency response.

The post NC Senate approves $700 million disaster relief bill first appeared on Carolina Journal.

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