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H.B. 123

             1     

DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY ACT

             2     
2006 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: J. Stuart Adams

             5     
Senate Sponsor: Gregory S. Bell

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies statutes related to disaster response and recovery and establishes a
             10      criminal penalty for failing to comply with orders issued in relation to a disaster or state
             11      of emergency.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    provides definitions;
             15          .    provides that the chief executive officer of each political subdivision, rather than the
             16      governing body of the political subdivision, shall have primary authority to provide
             17      rules and orders during an emergency or local disaster;
             18          .    provides the chief executive officer with certain powers and authority to act;
             19          .    provides for the issuance of orders of evacuation;
             20          .    provides a listing of emergency interim successors for political subdivision officers;
             21          .    provides that emergency orders, rules, and regulations that are issued by a political
             22      subdivision or an agency of a political subdivision shall be filed at the office of the
             23      clerk of the political subdivision;
             24          .    provides a criminal penalty for persons who fail to comply with an order to evacuate
             25      or other emergency order after having received notice of the order; and
             26          .    makes technical changes.
             27      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:


             28          None
             29      Other Special Clauses:
             30          None
             31      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             32      AMENDS:
             33          63-5a-2, as last amended by Chapter 12, Laws of Utah 1994
             34          63-5a-4, as enacted by Chapter 253, Laws of Utah 1981
             35          63-5a-6, as enacted by Chapter 253, Laws of Utah 1981
             36          63-5a-7, as last amended by Chapter 67, Laws of Utah 1984
             37          63-5b-401, as enacted by Chapter 294, Laws of Utah 1992
             38      ENACTS:
             39          76-8-317, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             40     
             41      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             42          Section 1. Section 63-5a-2 is amended to read:
             43           63-5a-2. Definitions.
             44          [(2)] (1) "Attack" means a nuclear, conventional, biological, or chemical warfare action
             45      against the United States of America or this state.
             46          (2) "Chief executive officer" means:
             47          (a) for a municipality:
             48          (i) the mayor for a municipality operating under all forms of municipal government
             49      except the council-manager form of government; or
             50          (ii) the city manager for a municipality operating under the council-manager form of
             51      government; or
             52          (b) for a county:
             53          (i) the chair of the county commission for a county operating under the county
             54      commission or expanded county commission form of government;
             55          (ii) the county executive officer for a county operating under the county-executive
             56      council form of government; or
             57          (iii) the county manager for a county operating under the council-manager form of
             58      government.


             59          [(1)] (3) "Disaster" means a situation causing, or threatening to cause, widespread
             60      damage, social disruption, or injury or loss of life or property resulting from attack, internal
             61      disturbance, natural phenomenon or technological hazard.
             62          [(3)] (4) "Internal disturbance" means a riot, prison break, disruptive terrorism or
             63      strike.
             64          [(7)] (5) "Local emergency" means a condition in any political subdivision of the state
             65      which requires that emergency assistance be provided by the affected political subdivision to
             66      save lives and protect property within its jurisdiction in response to a disaster, or to avoid or
             67      reduce the threat of a disaster.
             68          [(4)] (6) "Natural phenomenon" means any earthquake, tornado, storm, flood,
             69      landslide, avalanche, forest or range fire, drought, or epidemic.
             70          [(8)] (7) "Political subdivision" means municipality or county.
             71          [(6)] (8) "State of emergency" means a condition in any part of this state which
             72      requires state government emergency assistance to supplement the local efforts of the affected
             73      political subdivision to save lives and to protect property, public health, welfare, and safety in
             74      the event of a disaster or to avoid or reduce the threat of a disaster.
             75          [(5)] (9) "Technological hazard" means any hazardous materials accident, mine
             76      accident, train derailment, truck wreck, air crash, radiation incident, pollution, structural fire or
             77      explosion.
             78          Section 2. Section 63-5a-4 is amended to read:
             79           63-5a-4. Authority of chief executive officers of political subdivisions -- Ordering
             80      of evacuations.
             81          (1) (a) In order to protect life and property when a state of emergency or local
             82      emergency has been declared, the [governing body] chief executive officer of each political
             83      subdivision of the state is authorized to:
             84          (i) carry out, in [its] the chief executive officer's jurisdiction, the measures as may be
             85      ordered by the governor under this [act] chapter; and
             86          (ii) take any additional measures the [governing body] chief executive officer may
             87      [deem] consider necessary, subject to the limitations and provisions of this [act; provided, that
             88      no such action shall be] chapter.
             89          (b) The chief executive officer may not take an action that is inconsistent with any


             90      order, rule, regulation, or action of the governor.
             91          (2) When a state of emergency or local emergency is declared, the authority of the chief
             92      executive officer includes:
             93          (a) utilizing all available resources of the political subdivision as reasonably necessary
             94      to manage a state of emergency or local emergency;
             95          (b) employing measures and giving direction to local officers and agencies which are
             96      reasonable and necessary for the purpose of securing compliance with the provisions of this
             97      chapter and with orders, rules, and regulations made under this chapter;
             98          (c) if necessary for the preservation of life, issuing an order for the evacuation of all or
             99      part of the population from any stricken or threatened area within the political subdivision;
             100          (d) recommending routes, modes of transportation, and destinations in relation to an
             101      evacuation;
             102          (e) suspending or limiting the sale, dispensing, or transportation of alcoholic beverages,
             103      explosives, and combustibles in relation to an evacuation, except that the chief executive
             104      officer may not restrict the lawful bearing of arms;
             105          (f) controlling ingress and egress to and from a disaster area, controlling the movement
             106      of persons within a disaster area, and ordering the occupancy or evacuation of premises in a
             107      disaster area;
             108          (g) clearing or removing debris or wreckage that may threaten public health, public
             109      safety, or private property from publicly or privately owned land or waters, except that where
             110      there is no immediate threat to public health or safety, the chief executive officer shall not
             111      exercise this authority in relation to privately owned land or waters unless:
             112          (i) the owner authorizes the employees of designated local agencies to enter upon the
             113      private land or waters to perform any tasks necessary for the removal or clearance; and
             114          (ii) the owner provides an unconditional authorization for removal of the debris or
             115      wreckage and agrees to indemnify the local and state government against any claim arising
             116      from the removal; and
             117          (h) invoking the provisions of any mutual aid agreement entered into by the political
             118      subdivision.
             119          (3) (a) If the chief executive is unavailable to issue an order for evacuation under
             120      Subsection (2)(c), the chief law enforcement officer having jurisdiction for the area may issue


             121      an urgent order for evacuation, for a period not to exceed 24 hours, if the order is necessary for
             122      the preservation of life.
             123          (b) The chief executive officer may ratify, modify, or revoke the chief law enforcement
             124      officer's order during the 24-hour period.
             125          (4) Notice of an order or the ratification, modification, or revocation of an order issued
             126      under this section shall be:
             127          (a) given to the persons within the jurisdiction by the most effective and reasonable
             128      means available; and
             129          (b) filed in accordance with Subsection 63-5a-7 (1).
             130          Section 3. Section 63-5a-6 is amended to read:
             131           63-5a-6. Local emergency -- Declarations.
             132          (1) (a) A ["local emergency"] local emergency may be declared by proclamation of the
             133      [principal] chief executive officer of a political subdivision. [It]
             134          (b) A local emergency shall not be continued or renewed for a period in excess of 30
             135      days except by or with the consent of the governing body of the political subdivision.
             136          (c) Any order or proclamation declaring, continuing, or terminating a ["local
             137      emergency"] local emergency shall be filed promptly with the office of the clerk of the affected
             138      political subdivision.
             139          (2) A declaration of a ["local emergency" is] local emergency:
             140          (a) constitutes an official recognition that a disaster situation exists within the affected
             141      political subdivision [and];
             142          (b) provides a legal basis for requesting and obtaining state or federal government
             143      disaster assistance[. The declaration];
             144          (c) activates the response and recovery aspects of any and all applicable local disaster
             145      emergency plans; and
             146          (d) authorizes the furnishing of aid and assistance [pursuant thereto] in relation to the
             147      proclamation.
             148          (3) A ["local emergency"] local emergency proclamation issued under this section shall
             149      state:
             150          (a) the nature of the ["local emergency"] local emergency;
             151          (b) the area or areas that are affected or threatened; and


             152          (c) the conditions which caused the emergency.
             153          Section 4. Section 63-5a-7 is amended to read:
             154           63-5a-7. Orders, rules, and regulations having force of law -- Filing requirements
             155      -- Suspension of state agency rules.
             156          (1) All orders, rules, and regulations promulgated by the governor, [or by any] a
             157      political subdivision, or other agency authorized by this act to make orders, rules, and
             158      regulations, not in conflict with existing laws except as specifically provided herein, shall have
             159      the full force and effect of law during the state of emergency, when[, in the event of issuance
             160      by the governor, or any state agency,] a copy [thereof] of the order, rule, or regulation is filed
             161      with:
             162          (a) the Division of Archives, if issued by the governor or a state agency; or[, if
             163      promulgated by]
             164          (b) the office of the clerk of the political subdivision, if issued by the chief executive
             165      officer of a political subdivision of the state or agency [thereof, when filed in the office of the
             166      clerk of the political subdivision or agency promulgating the same] of the state.
             167          (2) The governor may suspend the provisions of any order [or], rule, or regulation of
             168      any state agency, if the strict compliance with the provisions of [such] the order, rule, or
             169      regulation would substantially prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with the
             170      emergency or disaster.
             171          Section 5. Section 63-5b-401 is amended to read:
             172           63-5b-401. Emergency interim successors for local officers.
             173          (1) By July 1 of each year, each political subdivision officer shall:
             174          (a) designate three emergency interim successors;
             175          (b) specify their order of succession; and
             176          (c) provide a list of those designated successors to the division.
             177          (2) In the event that a political subdivision does not designate emergency interim
             178      successors as required under Subsection (1), the order of succession shall be as follows:
             179          (a) the chief executive officer of the political subdivision;
             180          (b) the chief deputy executive officer of the political subdivision;
             181          (c) the chair of the legislative body of the political subdivision; and
             182          (d) the chief law enforcement officer of the political subdivision.


             183          [(2)] (3) (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
             184          (i) if any political subdivision officer or his legal deputy, if any, is unavailable, a
             185      designated emergency interim successor shall exercise the powers and duties of the office
             186      according to the order of succession specified by the political subdivision officer; or
             187          (ii) counties may provide by ordinance that one member of the county legislative body
             188      may act as the county legislative body if the other members are absent.
             189          (b) An emergency interim successor shall exercise the powers and duties of the office
             190      only until:
             191          (i) the vacancy is filled in accordance with the constitution or statutes; or
             192          (ii) the political subdivision officer, his deputy, or an emergency interim successor
             193      earlier in the order of succession becomes available to exercise the powers and duties of the
             194      office.
             195          [(3)] (4) The legislative bodies of each political subdivision may enact resolutions or
             196      ordinances consistent with this chapter and also provide for emergency interim successors to
             197      officers of the political subdivision not governed by this section.
             198          Section 6. Section 76-8-317 is enacted to read:
             199          76-8-317. Refusal to comply with order to evacuate or other orders issued in a
             200      local or state emergency -- Penalties.
             201          (1) A person may not refuse to comply with an order to evacuate issued under this
             202      chapter or refuse to comply with any other order issued by the governor in a state of an
             203      emergency or by a chief executive officer in a local emergency under Sections 65-5a-3 or
             204      65-5a-4 , if notice of the order has been given to that person.
             205          (2) A person who violates this section is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-10-06 9:56 AM


Based on a limited legal review, this legislation has not been determined to have a high
probability of being held unconstitutional.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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