Raleigh, NC – Tuesday afternoon, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed House Bill 47, the “Disaster Recovery Act of 2025,” with strong bipartisan support.
House Bill 47 allocates $500 million for Hurricane Helene relief efforts in Western North Carolina, bringing total relief funding from the General Assembly to more than $1.1 billion.
Key funding provisions in House Bill 47 include:
$140 million for rebuilding and repairing homes
$150 million to assist farmers and restore farmland
$100 million for repairing private roads and bridges
$55 million for small business infrastructure grants
$20 million to remove millions of cubic yards of debris
$10 million to support essential volunteer organizations
$10 million for volunteer fire departments
$10 million for rental assistance
$5 million for travel and tourism marketing
Speaker Destin Hall stated, “Ensuring Western North Carolina recovers swiftly and responsibly remains our top priority in the House. For that reason, House Bill 47 is the first legislation voted on and approved this session. I am proud of the work the House Select Committee on Helene Recovery, our Western NC delegation and others accomplished to pass this crucial legislation, and I’m encouraged by the overwhelming support it received today.”
Representative Larry Strickland (District 28), Representative Donna White (District 26), and Representation Howard Penny Jr. (District 53) were among the primary sponsors of the legislation.
Unfortunately if you’ve actually seen the devastation the hurricane brought to Western North Carolina, you would realize that $500m is no where near what is needed to help the people in this area of the state. For years the state legislators have bragged about how much money is the the emergency fund coffer. What the H*LL GOOD is it to.have an emergency fund if you’re not willing to spend the monies on an emergency? More HYPOCRISY from our state legislators.