An Act To Include The Declaration Of An Emergency By The President Of The United States As A Basis To Allow The Governor To Provide Disaster Relief To Local Governments

This bill allows Maine's Governor to provide disaster relief to local governments when the President of the U.S. declares a national emergency or major disaster in the state. It enables the Governor to apply for federal public assistance grants (with the state matching up to 25% of costs and local governments contributing up to 10% of total costs, capped at 10% of their annual operating budget) and secure federal loans for local governments that suffer significant revenue losses. Loan amounts are limited to 25% of a local government’s annual operating budget (excluding education funds), and the Governor may recommend loan forgiveness after three years if revenues remain insufficient. The bill directly affects Maine’s cities, towns, and counties by streamlining access to federal disaster funding.