ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

House: NREW DP 12-0-0-0


HCM2006: FEMA; wildfires; flooding; cost threshold

Sponsor: Representative Cook, LD 8

Caucus & COW

Overview

Urges the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to include costs resulting from flooding caused by wildfires in the cumulative cost threshold required for states to receive Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) monies.

History

The Robert T. Safford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act (Safford Act) is a 1988 federal law that provides authority to FEMA for federal disaster response efforts including wildfires. Under the Stafford Act, the President can provide FMAG to any state, local and tribal governments for mitigating, managing and controlling any wildfire that threatens to cause enough damage that it would constitute a major disaster (42 U.S.C. § 5187).

An FMAG provides a 75% federal cost share and the state pays the remaining 25% for costs incurred from the wildfire (44 Code of Federal Regulations § 204.61). Prior to awarding a grant, however, the state is required to demonstrate the wildfire's total costs exceed a cost threshold (44 Code of Federal Regulations § 204.51). Only certain eligible costs can count toward this threshold, such as equipment and supplies, labor and emergency work (44 Code of Federal Regulations § 204.42). Other costs do not count towards this threshold, including costs not directly associated with the incident period and costs related to land rehabilitation activities such as seeding, planting operations and erosion control (44 Code of Federal Regulations § 204.43).

Provisions

1.   ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes)	     ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes)      ☐ Emergency (40 votes)	☐ Fiscal NoteUrges FEMA to include costs resulting from flooding caused by wildfires in the cost threshold required for FMAGs.

2.   Directs the Arizona Secretary of State to transmit this memorial to the FEMA Administrator.

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6.                     HCM 2006

7.   Initials PAB/JH     Page 0 Caucus & COW

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