This bill establishes the municipal hazard mitigation program, which provides funding to municipalities that have hazard mitigation plans in place but insufficient funding to implement the projects in those plans. The initial funding for the program is $2,000,000, which will be transferred from the state rainy day fund and any remaining funds in the New Hampshire disaster relief fund. The program will be funded through the biennial budgeting process and other funds obtained through federal or private grant programs. Municipalities can request a grant of up to $50,000 once per calendar year. To receive grant funding, municipalities must apply to the division of homeland security and emergency management and provide information such as their hazard mitigation plan, a description of the project, the amount of money being requested, and an explanation of why the municipality is unable to fund the project on its own. The division will evaluate the requests and determine whether to fully, partially, or deny the funding. Municipalities must show proof of project implementation within 3 months of receiving the funding or the funds will be returned. The director of the division of homeland security and emergency management will adopt rules for handling grant funding requests for the program. The bill also amends RSA 21-P:46-a to allow funds from the New Hampshire disaster relief fund to be used by municipalities for hazard mitigation projects. The director of homeland security and emergency management will appoint a disaster relief committee to review and evaluate requests for individual or municipal assistance. The director will maintain records of all funds disbursed from the fund and report on them every 6 months. The bill takes effect upon passage. The bill has a fiscal impact of $2,000,000 in appropriations from the rainy day fund and $409,000 in position costs in FY 2025, $400,000 in FY 2026, and $413,000 in FY 2027. The Department of Safety estimates that the bill will result in an indeterminable increase in local revenue and no local expenditures. The department will need five new employees to administer the program, costing $409,000 in FY 2025, $400,000 in FY 2026, and $413,000 in FY 2027. The bill does not provide authorization for new personnel, and it is unclear if any of the initial $2,000,000 in program funding could be used for administration. The bill has been referred to the Senate and House of Representatives for consideration.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 21-P:46-a