House of Representatives

HB 2360

state forester; wildfire emergency enhancement

Sponsors: Representatives Flake, Cooley,

Gleason, Senator Guenther et al

DP	Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture
DP	Committee on Appropriations
DPA	Caucus and COW
x	As Passed the House

HB 2360 addresses issues relating to administration of funds used to fight wild fires.

History

Current law designates the Arizona State Land Commissioner as the State Forester. The State Forester is responsible for preventing and suppressing wildfires on state and private lands located outside city limits and may enter into cooperative fire agreements to furnish wildfire suppression services on other lands in Arizona, other states, Mexico or Canada. Statute authorizes the State Forester to request the governor to declare a wild land fire emergency and incur liabilities for responding to that emergency. A report to the Department of Administration (DOA) outlining any general fund expenditures made as a result of suppression of the emergency is required within 90 days of the emergency declaration.

Unplanned all risk activities include fire, flood, earthquake, wind and hazardous material responses.

Provisions

· Allows the Governor to authorize the State Forester to incur liabilities to suppress wild land fires and respond to other unplanned all risk activities. Eliminates the requirement for the Governor to first declare a wild land fire emergency.

· Eliminates the 90-day time frame currently required to report emergency expenditures and requires that information to be reported according to DOA rule.

· Requires an annual report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the governor describing how monies in the Fire Suppression Fund and any other monies authorized by the governor to prepare for periods of extreme fire danger and to preposition equipment are spent.

· Changes the amount of the liabilities incurred from an aggregate $2 million to a total of $2 million of state general fund monies per fiscal year.

· Modifies the authority of the State Forester to spend the additional $1 million that is currently available during periods of extreme fire danger. The bill will allow the State Forester to use these monies to prepare for periods of extreme fire danger in addition to prepositioning equipment for initial attack on wild land fires.

· Establishes the Fire Suppression Fund as a revolving fund and changes the timing of revertment of unobligated balances that exceed $600,000 from the end of the fiscal year to the end of the calendar year.

· Allows the State Forester to require reimbursement from other governmental entities for pre-suppression activities and responses to other emergencies. Currently, he may only obtain reimbursement for costs related to fighting fires.

· Allows the State Forester to request reimbursement from individuals or businesses for costs incurred for unplanned all risk activities caused by negligence or criminal acts. Current law covers reimbursement only for wild land fires.

· Provides that monies in the Cooperative Forestry Fund are not subject to legislative appropriation. Requires that deposits to the fund shall be made in accordance with statute outlining budgetary and fiscal provisions for state agencies.

HB 2360 passed the NRA Committee unamended.

HB 2360 passed the Appropriations Committee unamended.

HB 2360 was amended in the Committee of the Whole as follows:

· Stipulates that the State Forester must submit a report to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the governor describing how monies in the Fire Suppression Fund and any additional monies authorized by the governor to prepare for periods of extreme fire danger and to pre-position equipment are spent. The report is due annually no later than December 31.

---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------

45th Legislature

First Regular Session 2 March 13, 2001

---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------