NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A West Tennessee state senator has filed a bill that would create a new statewide disaster relief program.
Sen. Page Walley ( R-Savannah ), who represents eight different counties in West Tennessee, filed SB0047 , which would create the State Disaster Relief Program. The program would be administered by TEMA and would provide grants to local governments that suffer a natural disaster but don’t meet the threshold for federal disaster relief.
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According to the text of the bill as filed, county emergency management agencies would be able to request a grant of up to $250,000 from the program that would help offset costs incurred responding to a disaster that happens within the county if the county executive has declared a state of emergency.
Some of the approved uses of the grant money include repairing or replacing roads, buildings, utilities, or other public-owned infrastructure; emergency measures for saving lives; protecting health and public safety; or to remove debris from publicly owned land and waterways.