Montana Emergency Management and Homeland Security Authorities Summarized

Publication Date: March 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

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Abstract:

Montana’s Disaster and Emergency Services statutes include authorities related to intergovernmental cooperation, planning, management, services and the Response to Hazardous Materials Incidents Act. The governor oversees all emergency and disaster operations and issues disaster or emergency declarations. Two mutual aid compacts, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact and the Interstate Emergency Services Act, allow local governmental entities to enter into mutual aid agreements with like entities from other states. Montana statutes also contain an intergovernmental stipulation that authorizes the governor to enter into mutual aid arrangements with Canadian provinces. Succession of power statutes delineate individuals responsible for continuity of government, as well as succession procedures for local governments and the relocation of the seat of government.

This report is one of a series that profiles emergency management and homeland security statutory authorities of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each profile identifies the more significant elements of state statutes, generally as codified. Congressional readers may wish to conduct further searches for related provisions using the Internet link presented in the last section of this report. The National Conference of State Legislatures provided primary research assistance in the development of these profiles under contract to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Summary information on all of the profiles is presented in CRS Report RL32287. This report will be updated as developments warrant.