Minnesota 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: Minnesota

Abstract:

The Minnesota governor exercises authority over emergency management in the state and may assume direct control over certain emergencies. The executive council provides state assistance and allocates state funding for emergencies. The division of emergency management is located within the department of public safety and coordinates state emergency preparedness activities and the response to natural disasters. Farmers may apply for a disaster recovery loan from the state and its local governments, and may seek grants for floodplain disaster reduction studies. A disaster declaration can last up to 30 days if the cause results from enemy sabotage or a public health emergency, and for a maximum of five days for other peacetime emergencies. Continuity of government provisions allow the governor to move the capital from St. Paul; and interim succession and relocation of local government authorities is also provided. The statute provides for closing banks during a natural disaster.

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.