SB389 Summary

• Establishes the Strengthen Alabama Homes Program within the Department of Insurance to provide grants for retrofitting residential property to resist hurricane and catastrophic windstorm damage.

• Creates the Strengthen Alabama Homes Fund within the State Treasury, with funding dependent on annual legislative appropriations, federal grants, or other outside funding sources.

• Requires all mitigation work to comply with local building codes and the Fortified for Existing Homes Program standards, with projects subject to random reinspection.

• Limits grant eligibility to residential property owners whose insurable property has been granted a homestead exemption and who meet department-specified requirements for each grant type.

• Allows the Department of Insurance to issue grants to nonprofit entities for retrofit projects under the same administration and documentation standards as direct property owner grants.