One-time Reimbursement for Winter Storm Uri Remediation Costs
| Date: | December 9, 2021 |
|---|---|
| Subject: | One-time Reimbursement for Winter Storm Uri Remediation Costs under the Texas Education Code, §48.2611 |
| Category: | State Disaster Repayment |
| Next Steps: | Funding request submission |
Background
Winter Storm Uri created a severe weather and freeze event in February 2021. Because of the severity of the storm, Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster under Texas Government Code, §418.014. Many school districts and open-enrollment charter schools experienced increased expenditures for disaster remediation costs due to the storm. In response, the 87th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1525, which included new provisions under the Texas Education Code (TEC), §48.2611, to allow for a portion of the expenses that districts and charter schools incurred because of the disaster to be eligible for reimbursement. The 87th Texas Legislature also included $35 million in supplemental appropriations to fund this new provision as part of the state budget in Senate Bill 1, Article IX, Section 18.15(j).
Eligibility
A school district or open-enrollment charter school located in all or in part of an area declared as a disaster by the governor under the Texas Government Code, Chapter 418, and that incurs disaster remediation costs because of the disaster may apply to the commissioner of education for disaster aid assistance. The application for assistance must be submitted during the two-year period following the date of the governor’s initial proclamation or executive order declaring a state of disaster.
Reimbursement is limited to costs paid that the school district or open-enrollment charter school does not anticipate recovering via insurance proceeds, federal disaster relief payment, or another source of repayment, in accordance with the TEC, §48.2611. These costs must have been paid during the two-year period following the governor’s initial proclamation or executive order declaring a state of disaster.
Disaster Reimbursement Process
Disaster aid assistance under this section requires completing a Winter Storm Uri disaster application, costs associated with disaster relief spreadsheet, as well as submission of qualifying documentation (invoices, expense reports, etc.) of the costs associated with the disaster relief application. These documents can be found at the following link:
https://tea.texas.gov/about-tea/other-services/weather-and-disaster/weather-and-disaster-information
Disaster Reimbursement Guidelines
In 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §61.1006(c)(1), disaster remediation costs are defined as those incurred by a school district or an open-enrollment charter school for replacing school facilities; equipment, including, but not limited to, the cost to repair or replace vehicles or computers damaged in the disaster; and supplies needed to provide instruction at a location where students eligible for Foundation School Program (FSP) funding regularly attend classes.
The complete rule can be found here:
https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/ch061aa.pdf
Deadline
Applications will be funded if sufficient funds are available to fully fund each application. If sufficient funds are not available to fully fund each application, funding awards will be reduced proportionately so that every funded application receives the same percentage of requested funding.
To allow for timely processing of funding reimbursements, completed applications for disaster remediation costs must be received no later than 5 p.m. on January 31, 2022. Late applications may not be funded if total funding requests exceed the appropriation.
Additional Guidance
Additional details and instructions for filling out the application in Adobe Acrobat and the costs associated with disaster relief spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel are provided in the following YouTube webinars:
Contact
For answers to frequently asked questions, please refer to the FAQ document below:
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=eae2319d36ef4eeca421b17c7ea25b3e
If you have questions that are not covered in the FAQ, please use the form below to submit your questions, and responses will be added to the FAQ document above:
https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/194b6d55cae24e34bcd20dc241c97a55?confirm=true
If you have other specific questions that require an individualized response, please email FSPdisasterremediation@tea.texas.gov or call Thomas Heil at (512) 463-9622.
Sincerely,
Brent Droll
Assistant Director, Forecasting & Fiscal Analysis