[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 147 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H10925-H10927]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GRANTING CONSENT OF CONGRESS TO PACIFIC NORTHWEST EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
ARRANGEMENT
Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 35) granting the consent of Congress
to the Pacific Northwest Emergency Management Arrangement.
The Clerk read 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,
[[Page H10926]]
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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Gekas) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gekas).
General Leave
Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this particular piece of legislation is mandated,
actually, by the Constitution. The Constitution says that when two
States arrive at some kind of arrangement between the two that arises
to the level of a compact, a binding agreement, that then the Congress
of the United States must approve such a compact, else the Framers of
the Constitution felt that would lead to conflict that might turn even
violent if it were not guaranteed by the Federal Government, as one of
the oversee functions it would have, should such an agreement be
reached. So the Congress of the United States has, from time to time,
approved these compacts.
Such a compact was proposed a long time ago now, it seems, with
respect to the Pacific Northwest Emergency Management Arrangement
between the States of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and the
provinces of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory.
In this bill, this compact has to do with the coordination of
emergency services in disaster relief and all the hundreds of scenarios
that many of us, through our years of service, have seen examples of
time and time again on the floor of this Chamber.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate Joint Resolution
35. Mr. Speaker, this bill would grant the consent of Congress to two
compacts among Northwestern States and Canadian provinces to
coordinated responses to forest fires and other emergencies.
[[Page H10927]]
These compacts, which have already been ratified by the affected
States and provinces, require the consent of Congress to take effect
under the Compacts clause of the Constitution.
This particular bill has bipartisan support of members of the other
body and from States participating in these compacts. They were passed
by unanimous consent in the Senate. I am not aware of any opposition to
this bill.
The need for a coordinated response to fires and other emergencies is
clear. I want to commend the participating States and provinces for
their effort to protect human lives and property, and to safeguard the
environment in this region. We need to have continued cooperation
between bordering areas. I commend those who are involved in this, and
I urge adoption of this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to take some time to pay tribute here to another
colleague, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Doc Hastings), who, in
his endeavors over the course of time in the last session and before,
has come to us time and time again to press for not just this compact,
but another one that we will be taking up as the next order of
business.
He has worked tirelessly in this regard, and because of his
perseverance, has helped to solve some serious problems in his region
of the world.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate
Joint Resolution 35, a joint resolution granting the consent of
Congress to the Pacific Northwest Emergency Management Arrangement. A
compact entered into by the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and
Washington, as well as the Province of British Columbia and the Yukon
Territory.
Mr. Speaker, these state and provincial governments have negotiated
this compact to coordinate regional responses to natural disasters. As
we all know, disasters do not respect state or national boundaries. To
plan for and respond to these events, these northwest states and
provinces have chosen to adopt a cooperative regional approach. This
will improve the allocation of material, personnel, and services to
mobilize as many resources as possible in the event of a natural
disaster. Furthermore, the compact allows for cooperation across state
and national borders without sacrificing the state or national
sovereignty.
Mr. Speaker, this regional effort is non-controversial and was passed
unanimously by the other body on July 31 of this year. The compact is a
local and regional effort that requires the consent of Congress to take
effect.
I urge my colleagues to support the efforts of these northwest states
and provinces to improve emergency preparedness and pass this
bipartisan legislation.
Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gekas) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the Senate joint resolution, S.J. Res. 35.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof), the rules were suspended and the Senate joint resolution was
passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________