OH HB555

Creates the Individual Disaster Relief Fund in the state treasury, funded by appropriations, budget stabilization fund transfers, and grants/contributions, to be administered by the Emergency Management Agency.

Establishes a five-year Individual Disaster Relief Pilot Program to award grants up to $10,000 (or actual damage amount, whichever is less) to individuals and small businesses (fewer than 100 employees) for uninsured disaster damage and recovery expenses.

Requires applicants to suffer uninsured damage from a declared disaster in a location where the mayor, county commissioners, or township trustees have declared a disaster that the governor has accepted; applications must be filed within 60 days of the declaration.

Mandates the Emergency Management Agency review applications within 15 days, establish accounting procedures for grant expenditures, require recipients to document proper use of funds, and recover any misused moneys through repayment or attorney general enforcement action.

Directs the Director of Budget and Management to transfer up to $15,000,000 from the Budget Stabilization Fund to the Individual Disaster Relief Fund upon governor acceptance of a disaster declaration, and requires a comprehensive report on the pilot program within 90 days of its conclusion.