Rulemaking authority and division responsibilities

(1) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the division may make rules to: (a) designate the requirements and procedures for the governing body of an affected community to: (i) apply for a disaster response and recovery grant; and (ii) conduct an official damage assessment; (b) establish standards to determine: (i) the categories of and criteria for entities and costs that are eligible for grant funds; and (ii) minimum threshold payment amounts; (c) establish standards, procedures, and criteria for a community to qualify for pre-disaster mitigation funding, including: (i) defining excluded expenses for which money may not be expended for pre-disaster mitigation; (ii) establishing criteria for prioritization of projects for money to be expended for pre-disaster mitigation; and (iii) establishing a process by which a community may apply to receive money for pre-disaster mitigation; and (d) establish standards and procedures to ensure that funds distributed in accordance with this part are distributed in a cost effective and equitable manner, are reasonably necessary for disaster response and recovery or pre-disaster mitigation, are an appropriate and necessary use of public funds, and that all receipts and invoices are documented. (2) No later than December 31 of each year, the division shall provide the governor and the Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee a written report of the division's activities under this part, including: (a) an accounting of the money expended or committed to be expended under this part; and (b) the balance of the account.