Assigned to NREW                                                                                                                 FOR COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR H.C.M. 2006

FEMA; wildfires; flooding; cost threshold

Purpose

Requests the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to include costs related to and resulting from flooding when calculating the cumulative fire cost threshold from wildfires.

Background

FEMA is a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (FEMA). FEMA administers the Fire Management Assistance Grant Program (FMAG Program) for the mitigation, management and control of fires. The FMAG Program provides a 75 percent federal cost share and a participating state pays the remaining 25 percent of actual costs. Before a grant is awarded, a state must demonstrate that total eligible costs for the declared fire meet or exceed:
1) the individual fire cost threshold that applies to single fires; or 2) the cumulative fire cost threshold which recognizes numerous smaller fires burning throughout a state. Eligible firefighting costs may include: 1) expenses for field camps; 2) equipment use, repair and replacement; 3) tools, materials and supplies; and 4) mobilization and demobilization activities (FEMA).

               There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Requests FEMA to amend its current system of calculating the cumulative fire cost threshold from wildfires to include the costs resulting from and directly related to flooding.

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

House Action

NREW            2/1/22        DP       12-0-0-0

3^rd Read          2/17/22                  58-0-2

Prepared by Senate Research

March 14, 2022

RC/MAH/slp