Homeland Security urges study of a Wyoming state disaster fund amid federal funding uncertainty

Lynn Budd, director of the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, asked the Joint Judiciary Committee to consider an interim study of a state disaster fund that would give Wyoming a state-run mechanism to assist communities after floods, fires and other disasters.

“We are 1 of, I think, only 9 states that do not have a state disaster fund,” Budd told the committee, adding that federal thresholds for a FEMA public-assistance declaration (which are based on a per-capita formula) can be difficult for Wyoming communities to meet. She said the state could design a program “to be whatever we want it to look like” to help residents and public infrastructure when federal assistance is not available.

Budd described the state's heavy reliance on federal funding—“over 91% federally funded right now through FEMA and DHS grants”—and said recent interruptions to federal grant drawdowns mean the state must continue operations without those funds for a time. She noted the governor has convened a 20-person council to evaluate FEMA and that the National Emergency Management Association will participate in federal conversations.

Committee members asked whether the topic should be handled in Appropriations; Budd said it was not jointly submitted but agreed the committees could coordinate. The director also described relationships between homeland security, the state forester and the Office of State Lands and Investments around wildfire response, FMAG (fire management assistance grants) and mitigation funding.

Budd asked the committee to place the topic on the interim list to allow cross-agency discussion of program design, thresholds and funding sources. The committee recorded the testimony; no formal action was taken at the hearing.