2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 10. Military Affairs and Disaster and Emergency Services › Chapter 3. Disaster and Emergency Services › Part 10. Emergency Management Assistance Compact › 10-3-1001. Enactment -- provisions

10-3-1001. Enactment -- provisions.
The Emergency Management Assistance Compact is enacted into law and entered into with all other jurisdictions joining in the compact in the form substantially as follows:
Article I - Definitions, Purposes, and Authorities
(1) As used in this compact, the following definitions apply:
(a) "Party states" means the states that enact this compact.
(b) "States" means the several states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territorial possessions.
(2) This compact is made and entered into by and between the participating party states that enact this compact.
(3) The purpose of this compact is to provide for mutual assistance between the party states in managing any emergency or disaster that is declared by the governor of an affected state, whether arising from natural disaster, technological hazard, human-caused disaster, civil emergency aspects of resources shortages, community disorders, insurgency, or enemy attack.
(4) This compact also provides for mutual cooperation in emergency-related exercises, testing, or other training activities using equipment and personnel simulating performance of any aspect of the giving and receiving of aid by party states or subdivisions of party states during emergencies, those actions occurring outside actual declared emergency periods. Mutual assistance in this compact may include the use of the states' national guard forces, either in accordance with the National Guard Mutual Assistance Compact or by mutual agreement between party states.
Article II - General Implementation
(1) Each party state recognizes that many emergencies transcend political jurisdictional boundaries and that intergovernmental coordination is essential in managing these and other emergencies under this compact. Each party state further recognizes that there will be emergencies that require immediate access and present procedures to apply outside resources to make a prompt and effective response to an emergency. This is because few, if any, individual states have all the resources that they may need in all types of emergencies or the capability of delivering resources to areas where emergencies exist.
(2) The prompt, full, and effective utilization of resources of the participating states, including any resources on hand or available from the federal government or any other source, that are essential to the safety, care, and welfare of the people in the event of any emergency or disaster declared by a party state is the underlying principle on which all articles of this compact must be understood.
(3) On behalf of the governor of each party state, the legally designated state official who is assigned responsibility for emergency management is responsible for formulation of the appropriate interstate mutual aid plans and procedures necessary to implement this compact.
Article III - Party State Responsibilities
(1) It is the responsibility of each party state to formulate procedural plans and programs for interstate cooperation in the performance of the responsibilities listed in this article. In formulating those plans and in carrying them out, the party states, insofar as practical, shall:
(a) review individual party state hazards analyses and, to the extent reasonably possible, determine all those potential emergencies that the party states might jointly suffer, whether because of natural disaster, technological hazard, human-caused disaster, emergency aspects of resource shortages, civil disorders, insurgency, or enemy attack;
(b) review party states' individual emergency plans and develop a plan that will determine the mechanism for the interstate management and provision of assistance concerning any potential emergency;
(c) develop interstate procedures to fill any identified gaps and to resolve any identified inconsistencies or overlaps in existing or developed plans;
(d) assist in warning communities adjacent to or crossing the state boundaries;
(e) protect and ensure uninterrupted delivery of services, medicines, water, food, energy and fuel, search and rescue, and critical lifeline equipment, services, and resources, both human and material;
(f) inventory and set procedures for the interstate loan and delivery of human and material resources, together with procedures for reimbursement or forgiveness; and
(g) provide, to the extent authorized by law, for temporary suspension of any statutes.
(2) The authorized representative of a party state may request assistance of another party state by contacting the authorized representative of that state. The provisions of this agreement apply only to requests for assistance made by and to authorized representatives. Requests may be verbal or in writing. If a request is verbal, the request must be confirmed in writing within 30 days of the verbal request. Requests must provide the following information:
(a) a description of the emergency service function for which assistance is needed, such as fire services, law enforcement, emergency medical, transportation, communications, public works and engineering, building inspection, planning and information assistance, mass care, resource support, health and medical services, and search and rescue;
(b) the amount and type of personnel, equipment, materials, and supplies needed and a reasonable estimate of the length of time that will be needed; and
(c) the specific place and time for staging of the assisting party state's response and a point of contact at that location.
(3) There must be frequent consultation between state officials who have assigned emergency management responsibilities and other appropriate representatives of the party states with affected jurisdictions and the United States government, with free exchange of information, plans, and resource records relating to emergency capabilities.
Article IV - Limitations
A party state requested to render mutual aid or to conduct exercises and training for mutual aid shall take action necessary to provide and make available the resources covered by this compact in accordance with the terms of this compact. However, it is understood that the state rendering aid may withhold resources to the extent necessary to provide reasonable protection for that state. Each party state shall afford to the emergency forces of any party state, while operating within its state limits under the terms and conditions of this compact, the same powers, except the power of arrest unless specifically authorized by the receiving state, duties, rights, and privileges as are afforded forces of the party state in which they are performing emergency services. Emergency forces shall continue under the command and control of their regular leaders, but the organizational units shall come under the operational control of the emergency services authorities of the state receiving assistance. These conditions may be activated, as needed, only subsequent to a declaration of a state of emergency or disaster by the governor of the party state that is to receive assistance or subsequent to commencement of exercises or training for mutual aid and must continue so long as the exercises or training for mutual aid is in progress, the state of emergency or disaster remains in effect, or loaned resources remain in the receiving state, whichever is longer.
Article V - Licenses and Permits
If a person holding a license, certificate, or other permit issued by a party state evidencing the meeting of qualifications for professional, mechanical, or other skills is requested for assistance by the receiving party state, that person is considered licensed, certified, or permitted by the party state requesting assistance to render aid involving that skill to meet a declared emergency or disaster. However, the person holding the license, certificate, or permit is subject to limitations and conditions that the governor of the requesting party state may prescribe by executive order or other means.
Article VI - Liability
Officers or employees of a party state rendering aid in another party state pursuant to this compact are considered agents of the requesting state for tort liability and immunity purposes. A party state or its officers or employees rendering aid in another party state pursuant to this compact are not liable on account of an act taken or omission made in good faith on the part of the forces giving that aid or on account of the maintenance or use of any equipment or supplies in connection with giving that aid. Good faith, as used in this article, does not include willful misconduct, gross negligence, or recklessness.
Article VII - Supplementary Agreements
Because it is probable that the pattern and detail of the machinery for mutual aid among two or more states may differ from that among the states that are party to this compact, this compact contains elements of a broad base common to all states. This compact does not prevent a party state from making supplementary agreements with another state or affect any other agreements already in force between states. Supplementary agreements may include provisions for evacuation and reception of injured and other persons and the exchange of medical, fire, police, public utility, reconnaissance, welfare, transportation and communications personnel, and equipment and supplies.
Article VIII - Compensation
Each party state shall provide for the payment of compensation and death benefits to injured members of the emergency forces of that state and representatives of deceased members of those forces in case those members sustain injuries or are killed while rendering aid pursuant to this compact, in the same manner and on the same terms as if the injury or death were sustained within their own state.
Article IX - Reimbursement
A party state rendering aid in another party state pursuant to this compact must be reimbursed by the party state receiving that aid for any loss or damage to or expense incurred in the operation of any equipment and the provision of any service in answering a request for aid and for the costs incurred in connection with a request. However, an aiding party state may assume in whole or in part a loss, damage, expense, or other cost or may loan equipment or donate services to the receiving party state without charge or cost. Two or more party states may enter into supplementary agreements establishing a different allocation of costs among those states. Article VIII expenses are not reimbursable under this provision.
Article X - Evacuation
(1) Plans for the orderly evacuation and interstate reception of portions of the civilian population as the result of any emergency or disaster of sufficient proportions to require those plans, must be worked out and maintained between the party states and the emergency management or emergency services directors of the various jurisdictions where any type of incident requiring evacuations might occur. The plans must be put into effect by request of the party state from which evacuees come and must include:
(a) the manner of transporting those evacuees;
(b) the number of evacuees to be received in different areas;
(c) the manner in which food, clothing, housing, and medical care will be provided;
(d) the registration of the evacuees;
(e) the providing of facilities for the notification of relatives or friends of evacuees;
(f) the forwarding of evacuees to other areas or the bringing in of additional materials or supplies; and
(g) all other relevant factors.
(2) The plans referred to in subsection (1) must provide that the party state receiving evacuees and the party state from which the evacuees come shall mutually agree as to reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred in receiving and caring for evacuees, for expenditures for transportation, food, clothing, medicines, and medical care, and for similar items. The expenditures must be reimbursed as agreed by the party state from which the evacuees come. After the termination of the emergency or disaster, the party state from which the evacuees come shall assume the responsibility for the ultimate support of repatriation of the evacuees.
Article XI - Implementation
(1) This compact becomes operative immediately upon its enactment into law by any two states. After it becomes operative, this compact is effective in any other state upon its enactment by that other state.
(2) A party state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a statute repealing the compact, but withdrawal does not take effect until 30 days after the governor of the withdrawing state has given notice in writing of the withdrawal to the governors of all other party states. Withdrawal does not relieve the withdrawing state from obligations assumed under this compact prior to the effective date of withdrawal.
(3) Authenticated copies of this compact and any supplementary agreements as may be entered into must, at the time of their approval, be deposited with each of the party states and with the federal emergency management agency and other appropriate agencies of the United States government.
Article XII - Validity
This compact must be construed to effectuate the purposes stated in Article I. If any provision of this compact is declared unconstitutional or if the applicability of a provision to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the constitutionality of the remainder of this compact and the applicability of this compact to other persons and circumstances are not affected.
Article XIII - Additional Provisions
This compact does not authorize or permit the use of military force by the national guard of a party state at any place outside that state in any emergency for which the president is authorized by law to call into federal service the militia or for any purpose for which the use of the army or the air force would in the absence of express statutory authorization be prohibited under 18 U.S.C. 1385.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 175, L. 1999.