Delegates press for faster state disaster money after Western Maryland flooding

A sponsor presented House Bill 9-53 to the Appropriations Committee as a narrowly tailored way to allow faster state responses to disasters that occur outside the legislative session. The sponsor said a one-day flash flood in Western Maryland caused extensive damage, including flooding into an elementary school, and current state disaster-recovery funding (statutory guidance that limits the fund at roughly $15 million) is insufficient to cover sudden, localized catastrophes.

The bill would authorize the governor, with the Board of Public Works’ sign-off, to transfer modest sums from the rainy-day fund into the state disaster recovery fund when the Legislature is not in session. The sponsor argued that the change would enable quicker repairs to critical infrastructure, roads and libraries, and reduce the time residents must wait for rebuilding.

Witnesses described FEMA denials after the flood, the slow federal appeal process and the resulting strain on local resources. One witness said verified FEMA damages amounted to about $33 million but the application was denied; local counties spent millions from their own coffers. Kevin Canale of the Maryland Association of Counties urged a favorable report, saying emergency managers need the certainty to move funds quickly in crises.

Committee members discussed fund size, potential sources (including a companion proposal to levy a small insurance-premium transfer), and concerns about using rainy-day dollars. Sponsor and witnesses said the transfer would be short-term and could be replenished by future revenues; members emphasized they wanted guardrails to avoid depleting the state’s fiscal backstop.

No final committee vote was taken; members asked staff to review fiscal notes and to coordinate with the sponsor and Comptroller’s staff on implementation details.