INTERSTATE MUTUAL EMERGENCY AID                                                    H.B. 4838 (H-1):

                                                                                                      FLOOR SUMMARY

House Bill 4838 (Substitute H-1 as reported without amendment)

Sponsor:  Representative Sharon Tyler

House Committee:  Local, Intergovernmental, and Regional Affairs

Senate Committee:  Local Government and Elections

CONTENT

The bill would create the "Interstate Mutual Emergency Aid Act" to authorize the State and local units of government to enter into mutual aid agreements with out-of-State units of government, providing for communications, training, and response to planned events and emergencies.  The proposed Act also would to do the following:

-- Provide that it would not prohibit a private company under contract with the State or a local unit from participating in mutual aid agreements for the provision of personnel, with approval of the State or local unit.

-- Recognize the license, certificate, or permit of an out-of-State emergency responder who was acting within the scope of his or her credentials under a mutual aid agreement.

-- Extend governmental immunity to out-of-State emergency responders.

-- Provide that out-of-State emergency responders would remain employees of their respective employers while rendering mutual aid within Michigan.

Specifically, the State or any of its departments and agencies, or a political subdivision of the State, including a county, city, village, township, special district, or other unit of local government, or any combination of them, could enter into a mutual aid agreement with one or more units of government from another state that would provide for coordination of communications, training, and response to and stand-by for planned events and emergency responses between the units of government.  The State, department, agency, or political subdivision could do so in order to adequately address emergencies that extended or exceeded a jurisdiction's emergency response capabilities, either without rising to the level of a State or local declaration of a state of disaster or emergency, or in the initial stages of an event that could later become a declared disaster or emergency.

The term "mutual aid emergency" or "emergency" would not include a situation requiring a local or State declaration of emergency or disaster, unless that declaration occurred after the initial request for mutual aid.

                                                                                 Legislative Analyst:  Julie Cassidy

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have an indeterminate effect on the State and local units.  The effect would depend on the terms of any agreements, as well as the circumstances under which the agreements were relevant.

Date Completed:  12-6-12                                                         Fiscal Analyst:  David Zin

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.