BARTOW, Fla. - With hurricane season fast approaching, U.S. Senator Ashley Moody visited Bartow on Friday to announce the release of $1.5 billion in FEMA disaster reimbursements for Florida.
What we know:
Senator Moody detailed a new piece of legislation that was recently passed, called the TRACK Act. The TRACK Act stands for Transparency in Recovery Assistance and Claims Knowledge Act.
Moody said during her first few months as Senator, she quickly noticed that the federal recovery process was often delayed or burdened by bureaucratic red tape. Through her "graceful persistence," Moody said she helped secure more than $1.5 billion in FEMA public assistance for over 500 projects across the state.
The grand total reimbursed by FEMA currently stands at $1,563,897,520.
Those 500+ projects include:
- Repairs to education facilities
- Restoration of critical infrastructure
- Debris removal
- Costs incurred during restoration efforts
However, it remains unclear exactly which stalled recovery requests will be answered by this newly released reimbursement.
FEMA funding for Bartow
For the city of Bartow, Senator Moody said $5.3 million worth of FEMA relief would be provided for power and electrical system repairs.
Local leaders expressed relief at the incoming funds, which have been severely delayed.
"We’ve been waiting on that for 18 months, maybe longer," said Bartow City Manager Mike Herr.
"No matter what city you are at, or what state you're from, if you have had to survive a natural disaster that we are all too familiar with here in Florida... it shouldn’t take a United States Senator pushing, pushing, pushing to get funds released," Senator Moody said. "We should have a process in place that is efficient that people can count on. That cities know their claims can be reviewed, verified, and approved."
The TRACK Act
Dig deeper:
To keep federal funding more accountable, Senator Moody emphasized the need for the newly signed TRACK act.
The legislation mandates the implementation of a tracker on the FEMA website, providing hard deadlines for the agency to release information on where funds are being sent.
The act is designed to bring transparency and accountability to the federal funding for the recovery process when natural disasters happen.
"This legislation, I believe, is going to help us and the citizens get back to where they need to be and get on their feet," said Bartow Fire Chief Jay Robinson.
FEMA accountability for all states
The legislation does not just apply to Floridians who need hurricane recovery assistance, but also other citizens across other states experiencing natural disasters.
The Source: This article was written using information from a press conference with U.S. Senator Ashley Moody.