Bill Aids Campuses Damaged in Quake
Colleges and universities damaged by the 1994 Northridge earthquake will continue to receive federal emergency funds, due to a bill Assembly Democratic Leader Richard Katz (D-Sylmar) helped promote.
The Assembly passed the measure Wednesday on a 70-0 vote.
“Progress won’t be stopped short before it can start,” Katz said.
“This bill gives schools three more years to get through the extensive repair and retrofit process.”
The Legislature gave California State University, the University of California and community colleges access to $75 million from previous higher education bonds as the state matching funds needed to obtain federal money. Due to a drafting error in the original authorization, the availability of such money would have soon expired.
It’s not uncommon for delays to occur in complex earthquake claims processing. For instance, many repairs and claims from the Loma Prieta quake remain incomplete, according to Katz.
Only about $25 million in state matching funds have been claimed by colleges and universities affected by the Northridge quake, Katz’s office said.
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