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

SPONSOR Lovejoy

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/01/08

HB

SHORT TITLE Navajo Nation Emergency Management Services

SB 508

ANALYST Hanika-Ortiz

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

$100.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Indian Affairs Department (IAD)

Department of Health (DOH)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 508 appropriates $100 thousand from the General Fund to the IAD in FY09 to

provide funding for emergency management services of the Navajo Nation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

SB 508 appropriates $100 thousand from the General fund to IAD for expenditure in FY09. Any

unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 2009 shall revert to the

general fund.

The Navajo Nation was awarded $300 thousand for FY07. As of January 30, 2008, they have

spent $14,416.78. The Navajo Nation has three (3) pending requests to utilize the FY07 monies,

however, each of the requests lack the necessary supporting documentation to allow for

disbursement. The Navajo Nation has until June 2008 to utilize the remaining balance of the

FY07 money which is now $285,583.22 or it will revert back to the General Fund.

The DOH has been consulting and collaborating with the 22 tribes to conduct health emergency

preparedness activities and has provided small amounts of federal funds to support these

Senate Bill 508 – Page

2

activities. This year, the tribes have been addressing gaps identified in a preparedness

assessment.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

SB 508 will fund operations for the Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management.

Since 2005, the Navajo Nation has partnered with the State of New Mexico in the “Tribal-State

Emergency Preparedness Collaborative" to address tribal emergency preparedness in New

Mexico. The Collaborative is comprised of the following partners: 22 New Mexico Tribes and

Pueblos, Bureau of Indian Affairs Law Enforcement, Federal Office of Homeland Security, the

Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, New Mexico Office of Health Emergency

Management, New Mexico Department of Health, the New Mexico Native American

Subcommittee of the Emergency Manager’s Association, and the Indian Affairs Department.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

The Federal National Response Framework outlines the required components for a prepared

community and the National Preparedness Goal includes distinct and measurable target response

capabilities that could be tied to this funding.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

In 2004, the Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management developed an Emergency

Management Plan to addresses the duties, responsibilities, tasks, and relationships between the

Navajo Nation and Federal, State, Counties, and local chapter governments in order to respond to

emergencies and disasters. The Department also established a localized emergency management

system called the Authorized Local Emergency Management Repose Team (“ALERT") to

respond to local emergencies quickly and effectively.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

•

SB 508 relates to SB 15 Tribal Emergency Management. SB 15 would appropriate

$450,000 for regional tribal emergency management services: $150,000 would be

appropriated for the ten southern Indian Pueblos; $150,000 for the eight northern Indian

Pueblos; $75,000 for the Jicarilla Apache Nation; and $75,000 for the Mescalero Apache

Tribe. No monies are appropriated in that bill for the Navajo Nation.

•

SB 508 relates to SB 370 Navajo Nation Emergency Management Services. SB 370

would appropriate $600,000 for Navajo Nation Emergency Management Services, while

SB 508 would only appropriate $100,000.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The Navajo Nation is one of the largest tribes in the US with approximately 180,000 members.

Its reservation lands encompass nearly 27,000 square miles. The New Mexico portion of the

Navajo Nation has a population of 69,524, according to the 2000 Census. The Department

“plans, coordinates, responds, supports, educates, monitors and evaluates" the emergency needs

of New Mexico Navajo citizens in order to save lives and property.

Senate Bill 508 – Page

3

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

An appropriation of $100,000 may not be provided to the Indian Affairs Department emergency

management services in the Navajo Nation.

AHO/mt