MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2006 Regular Session
To: Sel Cmte on Hurricane Recovery
By: Representative Brown
AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE TRACKING OF CERTAIN FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS THAT ARE TO BE PROVIDED TO THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI FOR ASSISTANCE TO HOMEOWNERS WHOSE HOMES WERE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED BY HURRICANE KATRINA; TO DIRECT THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO OBTAIN AND COMPILE IN A DATABASE THE CERTAIN INFORMATION FOR EACH ASSISTANCE GRANT MADE TO A HOMEOWNER WHOSE HOME WAS DAMAGED OR DESTROYED BY HURRICANE KATRINA; TO PROVIDE THAT THE MISSISSIPPI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SHALL POST BY CENSUS TRACT ON ITS WEBSITE ON A MONTHLY BASIS CERTAIN INFORMATION RELATING TO THE ASSISTANCE GRANTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. (1) The purpose of this section is to provide a method for tracking Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds that are to be provided to the State of Mississippi under the Fiscal Year 2006 Department of Defense Appropriations Act (H.R. 2863) for assistance to homeowners whose homes were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. With this information obtained under this section, public officials will be better able to determine if those grant funds are being provided to the most affected areas and if the grant funds are being distributed equitably.
(2) The Mississippi Development Authority shall obtain and compile in a database the following information for each grant of CDBG funds to a homeowner whose home was damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina:
(a) The address of the house to be repaired or rebuilt with the grant;
(b) The amount of the grant disbursed by address;
(c) The annual income of the grant recipient; and
(d) The use of the grant (repair or rebuild) by address.
(3) From the information compiled under subsection (2), the Mississippi Development Authority shall post the following information by census tract on its website on a monthly basis:
(a) The number of grant recipients;
(b) The total number and amount of grants disbursed; and
(c) The income categories of persons who received the grants.
(4) The Mississippi Development Authority may provide the information compiled under subsection (2) to the Mississippi Automated Resource Information System (MARIS) or other appropriate agencies or entities with mapping capability in order to track the distribution of grant funds by census tract.
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.