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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep.
Tony Melio |
  
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Melio: House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee approves flood assistance bill
HARRISBURG, May 14 – House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee Chairman Tony Melio, D-Bucks, today announced a bill he co-sponsored that would provide funding for flood mitigation projects across the state was approved by the committee and sent to the full House for consideration.
Melio said the bill (H.B. 1989) would establish the Flood Assistance Program and Fund. The funding would be distributed in the form of flood grants and assistance programs.
"This bill helps to both prevent the recurrence of flooding problems and help the victims recover faster financially," Melio said. "We’ve seen a rash of destructive floods across the state in recent years and putting this plan in place would help minimize the aftermath of future floods.
"To date, there is not a flood assistance program to this degree that is administered through the state. This would put one in place that would be accessible for preventative and mitigation efforts."
The proposal would provide money for flood prevention projects -- for example, to dredge river and creek beds, and to construct, maintain or improve dams, reservoirs and levees. Secondly, the fund would provide assistance to residents, businesses and municipalities that sustain damage as a result of a flood.
Under the committee-amended version of the bill, the initiative would be funded through an annual surcharge of 20 cents on every $100 paid on all homeowners’ insurance and business owners’ property insurance policies, equaling $1 on the average policy of $500.
"When you look at the millions and millions of dollars of in some cases, in irreversible damage to homes and businesses left by a flood, in comparison this is a small price paid for prevention," said committee member Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Washington. "I consider this a savings account for the state so we can help victims recover faster financially as well as support new, innovative, larger-scale flood prevention projects."
The measure was approved along party lines, with the committee's Democrats unanimous in their support. The bill now moves to the full House for a vote.
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