The North Carolina General Assembly reconvened for one day on Thursday to pass a second disaster relief bill that provides over $600 million for victims of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.
Both the House and Senate passed Senate Bill 743 on Thursday unanimously, which now heads to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk. In the second round of appropriations, $604 million will be appropriated from the state’s savings reserve, while an additional $40 million will come from the Office of State Budget and Management Disaster Relief Reserve, resulting in a total of $644 million.
“The lack of preparation from the state’s executive branch leading up to Hurricane Helene and absence of immediate action thereafter has left Western North Carolina in a more difficult position than it needed to be,” said Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham. “This will be a long recovery, and the legislature will not lose sight of rebuilding the region and fixing the damage. Our second relief package puts the General Assembly’s total commitment so far at almost $900 million, and that will only grow as we continue to evaluate and repair the damage.”
Just two weeks ago, the General Assembly passed a $273 million aid package, which means the state’s relief funding now totals over $800 million.
SEE ALSO: NCGA leaders present $273 million Hurricane Helene Relief Package
State agencies will receive most of the funds to assist in the recovery efforts. The Department of Environmental Quality is set to receive the most funds, amounting to $139 million, for emergency loans and repairs of critical water and wastewater infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Helene.
The Department of Public Safety will receive $130 million for emergency response coordination, public safety efforts, and restoring the impacted infrastructure. The Department of Health and Human Services will receive $71 million, and the Department of Public Instruction will receive $65 million. To prevent business closures, $50 million will go to Golden LEAF to provide critical short-term financial assistance, so businesses can remain operational during the recovery phase.
As the state’s rainy day fund has accumulated $4.75 billion in savings reserves for emergencies, some legislators criticized the bill for not going far enough, quickly enough for small businesses and communities that need grants rather than loans. Leaders insisted that more help will come, especially next year when a new budget is drafted during the long session.
Senators explained that even if the state government shut down for two years and withdrew everything from the savings reserves, it would still not be able to provide enough. While it’s not everything that’s needed, they said, it’s a step that meets the current, immediate needs on the ground. Though legislators said the state can’t wait on the federal government, coordinating continued relief with federal partners will be vital in securing additional aid.