H-3958.1

HOUSE BILL 2680

State of Washington
66th Legislature
2020 Regular Session
ByRepresentatives Chapman, Jenkin, Steele, Walsh, Tarleton, Ortiz-Self, Gildon, Tharinger, Springer, Santos, Kretz, and Pollet
Read first time 01/17/20.Referred to Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations.
AN ACT Relating to establishing tribal representation on the emergency management council; and amending RCW 38.52.040.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 38.52.040 and 2019 c 333 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) There is hereby created the emergency management council (hereinafter called the council), to consist of not more than eighteen members who shall be appointed by the adjutant general and two members appointed by the tribal advisory committee in subsection (6) of this section. The membership of the council shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of city ((and)), county, and tribal governments, sheriffs and police chiefs, the Washington state patrol, the military department, the department of ecology, state and local fire chiefs, seismic safety experts, state and local emergency management directors, search and rescue volunteers, medical professions who have expertise in emergency medical care, building officials, private industry, and the office of the superintendent of public instruction. The representatives of private industry shall include persons knowledgeable in emergency and hazardous materials management. The councilmembers shall elect a chair from within the council membership. The members of the council shall serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for their travel expenses incurred in the performance of their duties in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 as now existing or hereafter amended.
(2) The emergency management council shall advise the governor and the director on all matters pertaining to state and local emergency management. The council may appoint such ad hoc committees, subcommittees, and working groups as are required to develop specific recommendations for the improvement of emergency management practices, standards, policies, or procedures. The council shall ensure that the governor receives an annual assessment of statewide emergency preparedness including, but not limited to, specific progress on hazard mitigation and reduction efforts, implementation of seismic safety improvements, reduction of flood hazards, and coordination of hazardous materials planning and response activities. The council shall review administrative rules governing state and local emergency management practices and recommend necessary revisions to the director.
(3) The council or a council subcommittee shall serve and periodically convene in special session as the state emergency response commission required by the emergency planning and community right-to-know act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11001 et seq.). The state emergency response commission shall conduct those activities specified in federal statutes and regulations and state administrative rules governing the coordination of hazardous materials policy including, but not limited to, review of local emergency planning committee emergency response plans for compliance with the planning requirements in the emergency planning and community right-to-know act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 11001 et seq.). Committees shall annually review their plans to address changed conditions, and submit their plans to the state emergency response commission for review when updated, but not less than at least once every five years. The department may employ staff to assist local emergency planning committees in the development and annual review of these emergency response plans, with an initial focus on the highest risk communities through which trains that transport oil in bulk travel. By March 1, 2018, the department shall report to the governor and legislature on progress towards compliance with planning requirements. The report must also provide budget and policy recommendations for continued support of local emergency planning.
(4)(a) The intrastate mutual aid committee is created and is a subcommittee of the emergency management council. The intrastate mutual aid committee consists of not more than five members who must be appointed by the council chair from council membership. The chair of the intrastate mutual aid committee is the military department representative appointed as a member of the council. Meetings of the intrastate mutual aid committee must be held at least annually.
(b) In support of the intrastate mutual aid system established in chapter 38.56 RCW, the intrastate mutual aid committee shall develop and update guidelines and procedures to facilitate implementation of the intrastate mutual aid system by member jurisdictions, including but not limited to the following: Projected or anticipated costs; checklists and forms for requesting and providing assistance; recordkeeping; reimbursement procedures; and other implementation issues. These guidelines and procedures are not subject to the rule-making requirements of chapter 34.05 RCW.
(5) On emergency management issues that involve early learning, kindergarten through twelfth grade, or higher education, the emergency management council must consult with representatives from the following organizations: The department of children, youth, and families; the office of the superintendent of public instruction; the state board for community and technical colleges; and an association of public baccalaureate degree-granting institutions.
(6) The tribal advisory committee is created and is a subcommittee of the emergency management council. The tribal advisory committee consists of up to twenty-nine members from each of the tribes in the state that choose to appoint a representative to the committee. Meetings of the tribal advisory committee must be held at least annually. The tribal advisory committee will serve to:
(a) Select and appoint two members to serve on the emergency management council. One member shall be a tribal representative from an eastern tribe in Washington and one member shall be a tribal representative from a western tribe in Washington;
(b) Provide tribal technical expertise to the emergency management council; and
(c) Provide important information to the twenty-nine tribes on policies or actions by the emergency management council that may impact any one or more of the twenty-nine tribes.
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