Governor Kim Reynolds recently signed her Disaster Recovery Bill after it passed both the Iowa House and Senate, and one lawmaker has a personal tie to it.

Representative for District 23 Ray Sorensen says that with the recent strong storms throughout the state, and especially after the natural disasters that rocked the state last year – including in his hometown of Greenfield – this bill is a welcomed sight. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio that Reynolds toured all affected areas last year, and legislators like himself who saw the damage first-hand, put a lot of work into this piece of legislation. Sorensen shares what kinds of programs are included with the legislation.

“The bill introduced the Natural Hazard Mitigation Financing Program, which is aimed at providing loans to eligible entities for projects that mitigate the impact of natural disasters. It also outlined the Disaster Recovery Housing Assistance Program, which specifies the ability of assistance for homeowners and renters affected by disasters.”

Sorensen mentions that the bill also removes certain administrative requirements, and adds provisions for financial assistance in the form of grants and loans. He adds that overall, the bill seeks to improve disaster recovery. The bill was signed into law by Reynolds on Tuesday.