[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 103 (Monday, July 21, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7775-S7776]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CRAIG (for himself, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Murkowski, Mr. 
        Kempthorne, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Gorton):
  S.J. Res. 35. A joint resolution granting the consent of Congress to 
the Pacific Northwest Emergency Management Arrangement; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.


         THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENT

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation to 
grant congressional consent to the Pacific Northwest Emergency 
Management Arrangement entered into between the States of Alaska, 
Idaho, Oregon, and Washington and the Provinces of British Columbia and 
the Yukon Territory.
  Mr. President, I am pleased that so many of my colleagues from the 
Pacific Northwest have joined me in cosponsoring this important 
legislation.
  This agreement, negotiated and signed by the Governors of the four 
Pacific Northwest States and their colleagues in Canada, would 
significantly improve multi-State and binational cooperation during the 
response phase of natural disasters in the Northwest. In addition, it 
would provide for region-wide civil defense coordination and guarantee 
residents of each State emergency services. The agreement does this 
while protecting the individual sovereignty of each State and Province.
  Mr. President, given the impact of recent natural disasters across 
the Pacific Northwest, my colleagues can easily understand why this 
measure is so important. I hope the Senate will act quickly in seeing 
this measure approved without delay.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of this 
legislation be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the resolution was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 35

       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress Assembled.

     SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL CONSENT.

       Congress consents to the Pacific Northwest Emergency 
     Management Arrangement entered into between the State of 
     Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, and the Province of 
     British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. The arrangement is 
     substantially as follows:

          ``PACIFIC NORTHWEST EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENT

       ``Whereas, Pacific Northwest emergency management 
     arrangement between the government of the States of Alaska, 
     the government of the State of Idaho, the government of the 
     State of Oregon, the government of the State of Washington, 
     the government of the State of the Providence of British 
     Columbia, and the government of Yukon Territory hereinafter 
     referred to collectively as the `Signatories' and separately 
     as a `Signatory';
       ``Whereas, the Signatories recognize the importance of 
     comprehensive and coordinated civil emergency preparedness, 
     response and recovery measures for natural and technological 
     emergencies or disasters, and for declared or undeclared 
     hostilities including enemy attack;
       ``Whereas, the Signatories further recognize the benefits 
     of coordinating their separate emergency preparedness, 
     response and recovery measures with that of contiguous 
     jurisdictions for those emergencies, disasters, or 
     hostilities affecting or potentially affecting any one or 
     more of the Signatories in the Pacific Northwest; and
       ``Whereas, the Signatories further recognize that 
     regionally based emergency preparedness, response and 
     recovery measures

[[Page S7776]]

     will benefit all jurisdictions within the Pacific Northwest, 
     and best serve their respective national interests in 
     cooperative and coordinated emergency preparedness as 
     facilitated by the Consultative Group on Comprehensive Civil 
     Emergency and Management established in the Agreement Between 
     the government of the United States of America and the 
     government of Canada on Cooperation and Comprehensive Civil 
     Emergency Planning and Management signed at Ottawa, Ontario, 
     Canada on April 28, 1986: Now, therefore, be it is hereby 
     agreed by and between each and all of the Signatories hereto 
     as follows:


                          ``advisory committee

       ``(1) An advisory committee named the Western Regional 
     Emergency Management Advisory Committee (W-REMAC) shall be 
     established which will include one member appointed by each 
     Signatory.
       ``(2) The W-REMAC will be guided by the agreed-upon Terms 
     of Reference-Annex A.


                      ``principles of cooperation

       ``(3) Subject to the laws of each Signatory, the following 
     cooperative principles are to be used as a guide by the 
     Signatories in civil emergency matters which may affect more 
     than one Signatory:
       ``(A) The authorities of each Signatory may seek the 
     advice, cooperation, or assistance of any other Signatory in 
     any civil emergency matter.
       ``(B) Nothing in the arrangement shall derogate from the 
     applicable laws within the jurisdiction of any Signatory. 
     However, the authorities of any Signatory may request from 
     the authorities of any other signatory appropriate 
     alleviation of such laws if their normal application might 
     lead to delay or difficulty in the rapid execution of 
     necessary civil emergency measures.
       ``(C) Each Signatory will use its best efforts to 
     facilitate the movement of evacuees, refugees, civil 
     emergency personnel, equipment or other resources into or 
     across its territory, or to a designated staging area when it 
     is agreed that such movement or staging will facilitate civil 
     emergency operations by the affected or participating 
     Signatories.
       ``(D) In times of emergency, each Signatory will use its 
     best efforts to ensure that the citizens or residents of any 
     other Signatory present in its territory are provided 
     emergency health services and emergency social services in a 
     manner no less favorable than that provided to its own 
     citizens.
       ``(E) Each Signatory will use discretionary power as far as 
     possible to avoid levy of any tax, tariff, business license, 
     or user fees on the services, equipment, and supplies of any 
     other Signatory which is engaged in civil emergency 
     activities in the territory of another Signatory, and will 
     use its best efforts to encourage local governments or other 
     jurisdictions within its territory to do likewise.
       ``(F) When civil emergency personnel, contracted firms or 
     personnel, vehicles, equipment, or other services from any 
     Signatory are made available to or are employed to assist any 
     other Signatory, all providing Signatories will use best 
     efforts to ensure that charges, levies, or costs for such use 
     or assistance will not exceed those paid for similar use of 
     such resources within their own territory.
       ``(G) Each Signatory will exchange contact lists, warning 
     and notification plans, and selected emergency plans and will 
     call to the attention of their respective local governments 
     and other jurisdictional authorities in areas adjacent to 
     intersignatory boundaries, the desirability of compatibility 
     of civil emergency plans and the exchange of contact lists, 
     warning and notification plans, and selected emergency plans.
       ``(H) The authority of any Signatory conducting an exercise 
     will ensure that all other signatories are provided an 
     opportunity to observe, and/or participate in such exercises.


                         ``Comprehensive Nature

       ``(4) This document is a comprehensive arrangement on civil 
     emergency planning and management. To this end and from time 
     to time as necessary, all Signatories shall--
       ``(A) review and exchange their respective contact lists, 
     warning and notification plans, and selected emergency plans; 
     and
       ``(B) as appropriate, provide such plans and procedures to 
     local governments, and other emergency agencies within their 
     respective territories.


                      ``Arrangement Not Exclusive

       ``(5) This is not an exclusive arrangement and shall not 
     prevent or limit other civil emergency arrangements of any 
     nature between Signatories to this arrangement. In the event 
     of any conflicts between the provisions of this arrangement 
     and any other arrangement regarding emergency service entered 
     into by two or more States of the United States who are 
     Signatories to this arrangement, the provisions of that other 
     arrangement shall apply, with respect to the obligations of 
     those States to each other, and not the conflicting 
     provisions of this arrangement.


                              ``Amendments

       ``(6) This Arrangement and the Annex may be amended (and 
     additional Annexes may be added) by arrangement of the 
     Signatories.


                     ``Cancellation or Substitution

       ``(7) Any Signatory to this Arrangement may withdraw from 
     or cancel their participation in this Arrangement by giving 
     sixty days, written notice in advance of this effective date 
     to all other Signatories.


                              ``Authority

       ``(8) All Signatories to this Arrangement warrant they have 
     the power and capacity to accept, execute, and deliver this 
     Arrangement.


                            ``Effective Date

       ``(9) Notwithstanding any dates noted elsewhere, this 
     Arrangement shall commence April 1, 1996.''.

     SEC. 2. INCONSISTENCY OF LANGUAGE.

       The validity of the arrangements consented to by this Act 
     shall not be affected by any insubstantial difference in 
     their form or language as adopted by the States and 
     provinces.

     SEC. 3. RIGHT TO ALTER, AMEND, OR REPEAL.

       The right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby 
     expressly reserved.

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