AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE MILITARY DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACCOUNT.

Plain English Breakdown

The official text specifies that approval requires the Governor to consult with the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection; it does not explicitly state joint approval is required.

Creating a Fund for Military Emergency Response

This law creates a new account to pay for emergency costs when federal money is not immediately available and moves $500,000 into it.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes the 'Military Department emergency response account' as a separate fund that keeps its balance from year to year.
• Allows funds in the account to cover costs for state military or other personnel responding to emergencies like natural disasters.
• Requires the Governor, consulting with the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, to approve any use of these funds.
• Limits spending to times when federal money is not immediately available.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Military Department
• State personnel and resources responding to emergencies
• The Adjutant General, who manages the account

Terms To Know

Nonlapsing account

A fund where any money left over at the end of a year stays in the account for future use.

Adjutant General

The official who runs and manages this new emergency response account.

Limits and Unknowns

• Funds can only be used if federal money is not available right away.
• Every use of the funds must get approval from specific state leaders before spending happens.
• The law does not say how much total money will go into the account beyond the initial $500,000 transfer.

Official Summary Text

To (1) establish the Military Department emergency response account, and (2) transfer moneys from the department's Military Relief Fund to said account.

Current Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5412
February Session, 2026

AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE MILITARY DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY
RESPONSE ACCOUNT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) ( Effective July 1, 2026 ) (a) There is established an 1
account to be known as the "Military Department emergency response 2
account", which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account. The account 3
shall contain any moneys required or permitted by law to be deposited 4
in the account. Any balance remaining in the account at the end of any 5
fiscal year shall be carried forward in the account for the fiscal year next 6
succeeding. 7
(b) The Adjutant General shall administer the account. Moneys in the 8
account shall be used for the purpose of covering costs incurred by the 9
Military Department, or by other state personnel and resources, in 10
responding to an emergency, including, but not limited to, any natural 11
disaster, civil emergency or other event requiring a state response, 12
whenever federal moneys for such purpose are not immediately 13
available, provided any such use shall be approved by the Governor in 14
consultation with the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 15
Protection. 16
Sec. 2. (Effective July 1, 2026) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, 17
the Treasurer shall transfer the sum of five hundred thousand dollars 18
from the Military Relief Fund, established under section 27 -100a of the 19
Substitute Bill No. 5412

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general statutes, to the Military Department emergency response 20
account, established under section 1 of this act. 21
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 2 July 1, 2026 New section

VA Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
APP Joint Favorable