[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S9659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PACIFIC NORTHWEST EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENT

  Mr. GORTON. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
immediate consideration of calendar No. 475, S.J. Res. 35.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 35) granting the consent of 
     Congress to the Pacific Northwest Emergency Management 
     Arrangement.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the joint resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the joint 
resolution.
  Mr. GORTON. I ask unanimous consent that the joint resolution be 
considered read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be 
laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the joint 
resolution appear at the appropriate place in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The joint resolution (S.J. Res. 35) was considered read the third 
time and passed, 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 States 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 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.

                          ____________________