HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3804        FILED ON: 1/16/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3846

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Nine

_______________

An Act relative to municipal emergency disaster relief payments..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. For a reserve to provide special, non-recurring payments to certain municipalities for the purpose of providing emergency disaster relief as related to damages associated with the ice storm of December 11-12, 2008, declared a State of Emergency by His Excellency the Governor and under the President’s Major Disaster Declaration for Public Assistance; provided that such sums shall be appropriated and paid to reimburse cities and towns determined eligible to receive federal funds by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the several counties, including but not limited to Worcester, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire and Berkshire; provided further, that the Commonwealth shall reimburse said cities and towns of costs and expenses including, but not limited to, the necessary cleanup and disposal of debris and to alleviate the danger and emergency posed by damaged and downed trees along public streets and ways; provided further, that said disaster relief shall be available to said cities and towns for the costs previously incurred and those required to be incurred as certified by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency; provided further that said assistance shall not be less than twenty-five percent of the total damage as certified by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect upon its passage.