[105th Congress Public Law 381]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]


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[DOCID: f:publ381.105]


[[Page 3401]]

           PACIFIC NORTHWEST EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENT

[[Page 112 STAT. 3402]]

Public Law 105-381
105th Congress

                            Joint Resolution


 
  Granting the consent of Congress to the Pacific Northwest Emergency 
   Management Arrangement. <<NOTE: Nov. 12, 1998 -  [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. <<NOTE: State listing. Canada.>> 

    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,

[[Page 112 STAT. 3403]]

    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

[[Page 112 STAT. 3404]]

        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.

    ``(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.

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

    ``(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.

[[Page 112 STAT. 3405]]

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

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

    Approved November 12, 1998.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S.J. Res. 35:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 144 (1998):
            July 31, considered and passed Senate.
            Oct. 15, considered and passed House.

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