SENATE BILL REPORT

HB 1047

As Reported by Senate Committee On:

Government Operations & Security, March 24, 2015

Title: An act relating to the state agencies continuity of operations planning requirements.

Brief Description: Concerning state agencies continuity of operations planning requirements.

Sponsors: Representatives Goodman, Haler, Moscoso, Appleton, Klippert, Muri, Hurst, S. Hunt, Hayes, Orwall, Johnson, MacEwen and Gregerson; by request of Military Department.

Brief History: Passed House: 3/02/15, 81-16.

Committee Activity: Government Operations & Security: 3/23/15, 3/24/15 [DP-WM, DNP].

Majority Report: Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

Signed by Senators Roach, Chair; Pearson, Vice Chair; Liias, Ranking Minority Member; Habib and McCoy.

Minority Report: Do not pass.

Signed by Senator Dansel.

Staff: Karen Epps (786-7424)

Background: The Military Department administers the state's comprehensive program of emergency management. The Adjutant General is responsible for developing a comprehensive, all-hazard emergency plan for the state that includes an analysis of natural, technological, or human-caused hazards, and procedures to coordinate local and state resources in responding to such hazards.

Governor Inslee issued Directive 13-02 in March 2013 that requires each individual agency, board, commission, and council to develop a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) for their organization. Each agency, board, commission, and council head will conduct a review of and exercise their COOP to ensure the following:

• employee contact lists are current;

• the plan identifies staff who perform essential functions, that those staff members know their responsibilities, and that they have access to phones and other technology to carry out those responsibilities;

• procedures exist to determine the status of the organization, i.e. open, closed, or delayed;

• procedures exist for updating organizational websites in a timely manner to reflect current organizational status, i.e. open, closed, or delayed;

• procedures exist for internal and external communication when normal methods may be disrupted, including information on whether the organization is open or closed; and

• performance of the organizational critical functions, including technology systems that support those functions, are possible when disruptions occur due to to an emergency or disaster.

Summary of Bill: The Military Department must provide for the prioritization, development, and exercise of COOPs by the state. The Adjutant General is responsible to the Governor for developing and implementing a program for interagency coordination of continuity of operations planning by state agencies. Each state agency is responsible for developing an organizational COOP that is updated and exercised annually in compliance with the program for interagency coordination of continuity of operations planning.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: This bill has to do with COOPs that local and state agencies should doing, including table-top exercises. This bill puts into statute the Governor's directive which means that it would also apply to the statewide elected officials who have not yet finished their COOPs. Requiring state agencies to do COOPs will help them be ready for the next big disaster in order to continue our government operations. This bill is a good government bill. This bill will allow our government to be prepared for an emergency in order to provide essential services.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Representative Goodman, prime sponsor; Nancy Bickford, WA Military Dept.

Persons Signed in to Testify But Not Testifying: No one.