1 SB301
2 211252-1
3 By Senators Elliott and Roberts
4 RFD: Banking and Insurance
5 First Read: 03-MAR-21
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1 211252-1:n:03/03/2021:KMS/cr LSA2021-732
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8 SYNOPSIS: Under existing law, the Strengthen Alabama
9 Homes Program, within the Department of Insurance,
10 was created to financially aid homeowners and
11 certain nonprofit entities in retrofitting
12 insurable property to resist future loss due to
13 hurricane or other catastrophic windstorm events.
14 This bill would provide that all contractor
15 bids received and grants of public funds awarded
16 under the Strengthen Alabama Homes Program are
17 public records under the federal Freedom of
18 Information Act.
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20 A BILL
21 TO BE ENTITLED
22 AN ACT
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24 Relating to the Strengthen Alabama Homes Program; to
25 amend Section 27-31E-3, Code of Alabama 1975, as amended by
26 Act 2019-242, 2019 Regular Session, to provide that certain
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1 bids received and grants awarded under the program are public
2 records under the federal Freedom of Information Act.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
4 Section 1. Section 27-31E-3, as amended by Act
5 2019-242, 2019 Regular Session, of the Code of Alabama 1975,
6 is amended to read as follows:
7 "27-31E-3.
8 "(a) To be eligible for a grant, residential
9 property owners applying for a grant must have an insurable
10 property that has been granted a homestead exemption and must
11 be able to meet the eligibility requirements as set forth by
12 the department for each grant type.
13 "(b) Grants to residential property owners must be
14 used to retrofit an insurable property as defined in Section
15 27-31D-3, to resist loss due to hurricane, tornado, or other
16 catastrophic windstorm events as prescribed in subsection (b)
17 of Section 27-31D-2.
18 "(c) Documents, materials, and other information
19 submitted to the department by property owners or insurance
20 companies in support of a grant application shall be subject
21 to the confidentiality provisions of subsection (g) of Section
22 27-2-24, provided that the amount of any grant awarded and the
23 name of the recipient of the grant awarded shall be available
24 for public disclosure.
25 "(d) Any provision of Section 27-2-24 to the
26 contrary notwithstanding, every contractor bid received and
27 grant of public funds awarded under the Strengthen Alabama
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1 Homes Program is a public record and subject to full
2 disclosure pursuant to the federal Freedom of Information
3 Act."
4 Section 2. This act shall become effective on the
5 first day of the third month following its passage and
6 approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 27-31E-3