S105 - 2021 Appropriations Act. (SL 2021-180)

Overview: Section 5.9.(c) of S.L. 2021-180 directs the Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Mitigation Services (DMS), to contract with an organization to develop a Statewide Flood Resiliency Blueprint (Blueprint) for major watersheds impacted by flooding. The Blueprint must identify the major watersheds affected by flooding, conduct flood risk assessments, and make recommendations to reduce flood risk for each identified watershed.

The organization contracted to develop the Blueprint must submit an initial draft of the Blueprint to DMS no later than December 31, 2023. DMS must submit a report on the development and implementation of the Blueprint by July 1, 2022, and each year thereafter, to the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations and the Fiscal Research Division.

Section 5.9.(a) allocates $20 million to the Department of Environmental Quality to be used to develop a Statewide Flood Resiliency Blueprint, which will revert to the Disaster Relief and Mitigation Fund if not encumbered by June 30, 2023.

This section became effective July 1, 2021.