Michigan Emergency Management and Homeland Security Authorities Summarized

Publication Date: March 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

Type:

Coverage: Michigan

Abstract:

The Emergency Management Act of 1976, as amended, provides for broad emergency management authority and prescribes duties of officials in Michigan. The governor is authorized to declare either a state of disaster or a state of emergency. After a state of disaster or emergency has been declared the governor may exercise numerous powers to protect the health and safety of the people. The department of state police exercises the lead role for emergency management through the emergency management division. State agencies and the judiciary must “cooperate to the fullest possible extent” with the emergency management director during a disaster or emergency. Counties and municipalities, depending on their population, are required or suggested to establish an emergency management office and hire a local director. Public colleges and universities (also depending on enrollment) are required or suggested to establish an emergency management office. The governor may establish emergency volunteers as a special segment of the national guard, and volunteers may provide assistance to the state should other national guard units be called up for national duty. Continuity of government operations provisions have been enacted for state and local offices, as have immunity and property compensation provisions.

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.