Natural Disaster Mitigation Enterprise

The act creates the natural disaster mitigation enterprise (enterprise). The enterprise is governed by a board of directors, imposes a fee on insurance companies that offer certain insurance policies or contracts, and uses the fee revenue to finance the natural disaster mitigation grant program and provide local governments technical assistance on natural disaster mitigation. The enterprise awards natural disaster mitigation grants to assist in the implementation of resilience and natural disaster mitigation measures and to assist entities that apply for federal grants that require matching funds and are dedicated to assisting in the implementation of pre-disaster natural disaster mitigation measures.

Beginning July 1, 2023, the enterprise collects the fee annually from insurers that offer certain policies or contracts. For an insurer, the fee is equal to $2 multiplied by the number of certain policies or contracts of insurance held by the insurer that cover property or risks in the state. These policies include:

• Fire;
• Allied lines;
• Private crop;
• Farmers multiple peril;
• Homeowners multiple peril; and
• Commercial multiple peril.

Insurers may recoup the cost of the fee from their policy holders, but insurers may not raise their premiums based on the fee.

The board of directors of the enterprise shall submit a report by July 1 of each year to the committees of reference of the general assembly to which the department of public safety is assigned regarding the grant program. Both the enterprise and the fee are repealed, effective January 1, 2030.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)