S. J. Res. 35

One Hundred Fifth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the twenty-seventh day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight

Joint Resolution

Granting the consent of Congress to the Pacific Northwest Emergency Management

Arrangement.

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,
S. J. Res. 35—2

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
S. J. Res. 35—3

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.
S. J. Res. 35—4

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

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

reserved.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.