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Senators press administration to break out $13.36M Bobby request into response and recovery
Summary
During a Committee of the Whole hearing, legislators pressed the administration to itemize the governor’s $13,361,849 request for Super Typhoon Bobby into separate response and recovery line items so FEMA reimbursement can be clearly documented.
Senators at a Committee of the Whole special-session hearing said they will not approve a lump-sum appropriation for Super Typhoon Bobby until the administration separates response and recovery costs that FEMA requires for reimbursement.
"The language currently reads only 'emergency response' on page 4," a senator said, asking the administration to delineate what portion of the $13,361,849 is for immediate response versus longer-term recovery. Agency staff acknowledged the bill’s title states "response and recovery" but agreed the bill text could be clarified and offered to provide an itemized accounting.
Administration staff said the appropriation request was compiled to begin immediate work and that detailed line items can be supplied. Joe Cabana of the Public Recovery Office described the practical need for such a split when seeking federal reimbursement: "DOA also has a big role in this thing because they're handling the bigger funds" and FEMA will examine whether expenditures qualify under response or recovery categories before reimbursing the territory.
Lawmakers pressed for an accounting of the roughly $1.9 million gap that remained after staff tallied about $11.45 million in identified needs, saying they could not responsibly approve a blank check without the breakdown. The committee agreed staff would return with a response/recovery split and supporting documentation before legislators would advance the appropriation.
