103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2589
 
Introduced 10/18/2023, by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 

 
15 ILCS 30/5 new

     Amends the Disaster Relief Act. Provides that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security may provide State supplemental grants to meet disaster-related necessary expenses or serious needs of individuals and households adversely affected by any disaster declared by the President of the United States in those cases in which  individuals and households are unable to meet those expenses or needs through other assistance. Sets eligibility, application, and other requirements for the grants.
  


LRB103 33857 AWJ 63672 b

 
 
A BILL FOR
 

  
SB2589LRB103 33857 AWJ 63672 b


  
1    AN ACT concerning State government.
  
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
3represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
4    Section 5. The Disaster Relief Act is amended  by adding 
5Section 5 as follows:
 
6    (15 ILCS 30/5 new)
7    Sec. 5. Supplemental disaster relief grants.
8    (a) The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of 
9Homeland Security may provide State supplemental grants to 
10meet disaster-related necessary expenses or serious needs of 
11individuals and households adversely affected by any disaster 
12declared by the President of the United States in those cases 
13in which  individuals and households are unable to meet those 
14expenses or needs through assistance under Section 408 of the 
15federal Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
16Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5174) or from other sources. 
17    (b) Grants under this Section shall be made only to 
18individuals and households that, in either case, are 
19determined, by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and 
20Office of Homeland Security, to be eligible for federal 
21assistance under 42 U.S.C. 5174, that  have unmet serious 
22needs, and that have suffered losses reimbursable under that 
23program in excess of the maximum federal grant amount. 
 
 
SB2589- 2 -LRB103 33857 AWJ 63672 b

1    (c) The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of 
2Homeland Security may make a grant to an eligible individual 
3or eligible household in an amount equal to the difference 
4between the federal grant awarded to the individual or 
5household and the federally eligible appraised loss of the 
6individual or household, not to exceed $10,000 per individual 
7or household. 
8    (d) The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of 
9Homeland Security shall adopt rules establishing application 
10procedures for grants awarded under this Section. The adopted 
11rules  must, at a minimum, specify that: 
12        (1) all application procedures must conform to the 
13    procedures required in the federal Robert T. Stafford 
14    Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended; 
15        (2) the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and 
16    Office of Homeland Security must ensure that applicants 
17    for relief under this Section have exhausted all other 
18    available means of seeking relief for disaster damage 
19    prior to receiving any grants under this Section; 
20        (3) all applications, forms, and other written 
21    materials to be  presented to persons seeking assistance 
22    must be available in English and in the same language as 
23    that used by the largest  non-English-speaking population 
24    within the disaster area; and 
25        (4) bilingual staff who reflect the demographics of 
26    the disaster area must be available to applicants.