Senate oversight committee adopts resilience report, flags underused revolving fund and recurring funding needs

The Senate Legislative Oversight Committee on Wednesday adopted a subcommittee report on the Office of Resilience, noting the agency’s statewide resilience plan (completed 2023, updated 2024), oversight responsibilities for disaster relief, and a resilience revolving fund intended to support buyouts and flood-mitigation projects.

Senator Kempston, who presented the subcommittee findings, said the agency’s fiscal year 2026 budget from all sources was reported in the hearing record as "$191,905,166.33." He told the committee the resilience revolving fund has been minimally utilized despite outreach to more than 500 eligible entities; the subcommittee recorded only a single large loan to The Nature Conservancy for a flood-prone land acquisition in Jasper County.

The report issued five findings and matching recommendations: increase outreach to eligible local governments and land trusts to promote the resilience revolving fund, identify recurring funding (including consideration of a portion of the insurance premium tax), maximize nonstate funds for acquisition and conservation, expand mitigation buyouts with attention to low- and moderate-income households, and amend statutory language to clarify disaster-relief eligibility.

Committee members moved and approved a favorable report by voice vote. Members said the review was timely given the agencies' recent creation and increasing storm frequency and that the subcommittee’s recommendations could inform legislative funding choices.

The committee also encouraged the agency to coordinate with local jurisdictions to avoid undermining buyout outcomes through permit issuance when buyout properties were later proposed for development.

The motion to adopt the Office of Resilience subcommittee report passed by voice vote.