05/06/2002 03:25 PM House L&C

HB 323 - EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE COMPACT                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Number 0061                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI announced that the  first order of business would                                                               
be  HOUSE  BILL  NO.  323,  "An Act  relating  to  emergency  and                                                               
disaster  relief  forces  as  state  employees  for  purposes  of                                                               
workers'  compensation   benefits;  relating  to   the  Emergency                                                               
Management  Assistance  Compact  and the  implementation  of  the                                                               
compact; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0099                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MG  PHILLIP OATES,  Adjutant General/Commissioner,  Department of                                                               
Military & Veterans'  Affairs (DMVA), presented HB  323 on behalf                                                               
of the  administration.   He said  that the  Emergency Management                                                               
Assistance Compact (EMAC)  is very important because  no state or                                                               
nation  can have  enough resources  or  wealth to  deal with  the                                                               
large   contingencies  of   an  attack   with  weapons   of  mass                                                               
destruction.    Therefore, compacts  with  other  states is  very                                                               
important due to  the need for rapid access to  resources as well                                                               
as the  ability to  rapidly provide resources  to those  in need.                                                               
He explained that  the EMAC is a duty roster  of support in which                                                               
a state is  prepared to provide a certain  package of assistance.                                                               
The  state  is indemnified  from  providing  the support  and  is                                                               
reimbursed  for this  support.   The  state  can ultimately  have                                                               
these resources returned, if need  be.  General Oates pointed out                                                               
that quick  response to a  weapons of mass destruction  event can                                                               
result in  great success.   However, a slow  response, especially                                                               
with a biological event, could  result in no success.  Therefore,                                                               
it's  important to  enter into  the compact,  he reiterated.   He                                                               
estimated that only  four states wouldn't be part of  EMAC by the                                                               
end of this legislative session.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
GENERAL  OATES   informed  the  committee  of   discussions  with                                                               
Governor  Tom  Ridge, the  Director  of  the Office  of  Homeland                                                               
Security  and  the  Federal Emergency  Management  Agency  (FEMA)                                                               
regarding the notion that states  should have the availability to                                                               
have a  soft match for  the federal  assistance.  Because  of the                                                               
country's  economic  recession,   states  are  having  difficulty                                                               
funding  their existing  programs.   Therefore, a  hard match  to                                                               
obtain federal dollars  will be difficult to  achieve.  Moreover,                                                               
most state legislative sessions have  ended.  General Oates noted                                                               
that the  need for a  procedural match  and soft match  have been                                                               
argued.    [It  has  also  been argued]  that  one  of  the  most                                                               
important things  for receiving  federal assistance is  having an                                                               
EMAC.  General Oates related  his belief that this legislation is                                                               
good and  helps Alaska  assist others,  which is  a long-standing                                                               
Alaskan  trait.    He  requested that  the  committee  move  this                                                               
legislation forward this year.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
Number 0424                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR MURKOWSKI informed the committee  that in the House Special                                                               
Committee  on  Military  and  Veterans'  Affairs  she  had  asked                                                               
whether  it's necessary  to include  the language  of the  entire                                                               
compact to  which the  National Emergency  Management Association                                                               
responded in the affirmative.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Number 0530                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  HAYES moved  to report  HB 323  out of  committee                                                               
with individual recommendations and  the accompanying zero fiscal                                                               
note.   There being no  objection, HB  323 was reported  from the                                                               
House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.