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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Arnold-Jones

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/08/07

3/2/07 HB 869/aHHGAC

SHORT TITLE Small City Emergency Preparedness & Planning

SB

ANALYST Peery-Galon

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$3,000.0 Non-Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Responses Received From

New Mexico Municipal League (NMML)

Department of Public Safety (DPS)

Higher Education Department (HED)

Department of Health (DOH)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of HHGAC Amendment

The House Health and Government Affairs Committee amendment for House Bill 869 adds an

additional task to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology in developing the

template for emergency strategies. The New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is to

develop and implement methods to quickly and efficiently communicate with all small counties

and municipalities with a population of 50,000 persons or fewer on the template and processes

developed pursuant to this section, including any updates, improvements and other support. The

training and exercise manual and any other material shall be provided to all such small counties

and municipalities and shall be made available electronically.

Synopsis of Original Bill

House Bill 869 requires the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, in collaboration

with the Department of Public Safety and the Office of Homeland Security, to develop an

emergency operations preparedness and planning program for small municipalities and counties

with a population of 50,000 persons or fewer. The New Mexico Institute of Mining and

Technology in developing the template for emergency response strategies is to:

•

Bring together experts, first responders, community officials and citizens to identify and

index scenarios, strategies and existing capabilities, assets, limitations and resources of

House Bill 869/aHHGAC – Page

2

the community;

•

Establish an emergency operations response team that would maintain, update and

review, at least semi-annually, the emergency response strategies for the community and

that would implement the appropriate strategies in response to a crisis situation;

•

Conduct exercises to test the effectiveness of strategies developed to meet various

emergency scenarios and evaluate and improve those strategies as needed;

•

Develop a training and exercise manual to guide a small community in its emergency

planning and response process; and

•

Develop plans and methods to hasten economic recovery in the event of an emergency.

The institute is to provide an interim report no later than November 2008 and a final report no

later than September 2009 to the appropriate interim legislative committee.

House Bill 869 appropriates $3,000.0 from the general fund to board of regents of New Mexico

Institute of Mining and Technology for the emergency operations preparedness and planning

program for all small municipalities and counties, including the development and testing of a

template that can be repeated and customized to work in all small communities. The proposed

legislation states no more than $500.0 of the money appropriated shall be used to defray the

expense of conducting exercises in the development of the template.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $3,000.0 contained in this bill is a non-recurring expense to the general

fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2009 shall

revert to the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DPS states the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Support Program assists and

supports local jurisdictions in emergency preparedness, including planning, training and exercise

in alignment with federal guidelines. The Emergency Management and Homeland Security

Support Program is responsible for supporting emergency response throughout the state, using a

common operating system.

NM Municipal League notes many small municipalities and counties lack the expertise and

funds needed to develop an emergency plan. The Municipal League states the development of

the template would greatly benefit small municipalities and counties by improving their

emergency preparedness.

DOH states the proposed legislation deals with the development and funding of emergency

preparedness activities that may be similar to existing efforts at the Department of Public

Safety’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Support Program(EMHSSP),

Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and the Department of Health’s Epidemiology and

Response Division’s Bureau of Health Emergency Management. DOH states that New Mexico

has in place a robust emergency planning and response system that is directed, funded and

coordinated by the Department of Public Safety’s EMHSSP and Governor’s Office of Homeland

Security. DOH reports that the Department of Public Safety’s EMHSSP partially funds the

salaries of local emergency managers in nearly ever county in New Mexico who coordinate all-

hazard preparedness planning and exercising of emergency operation plans in their jurisdiction,

in collaboration with first responders such as local law enforcement and firefighting personnel.

DOH reports the department collaborates with Department of Public Safety’s EMHSSP and

House Bill 869/aHHGAC – Page

3

Governor’s Office of Homeland Security in coordinating statewide public health and health

system preparedness, and provides technical assistance and funding to local emergency managers

to strengthen local health response planning activities.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

DPS states the proposed legislation allows for possible duplication and/or conflict with the

programs of the department and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

DOH states the proposed legislation would be strengthened by clarifying how the proposed

activities would be integrated into the state’s existing preparedness and response system and how

compliance with federal and state requirements relating to emergency preparedness would be

addressed.

RPG/nt