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Committee hears HB 334 to boost disaster recovery funds from $16M to $22M and add surge authority
Summary
Rep. Brad Barker sponsored HB 334 to increase Montana's statutory disaster appropriation from $16 million to $22 million per biennium and authorize up to $3 million per biennium for planning, training and recovery surge capacity; proponents cited gaps in long‑term recovery after the 2022 floods.
Representative Brad Barker introduced House Bill 334 to increase Montana’s statutory disaster appropriation from $16 million to $22 million per biennium and to provide additional flexibility for the state to fund planning, training and recovery operations.
Barker said the proposal grew from an interim study on preparedness and recovery following events such as the 2022 Yellowstone floods and aims to fund the "middle" of disaster financing — the planning and recovery phase that falls between immediate response and long‑term capital repair. Ryan Evans, assistant budget director for the governor’s budget office, described the measure as completing the financing arc: "We’ve did a good job at…
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