HB0320 - Search and rescue operations-council.

 

2001

State of Wyoming

01LSO-0656

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL NO.  HB0320

 

 

Search and rescue operations-council.

 

Sponsored by:  Representative(s) Law

 

 

A BILL

 

for

 

 1  AN ACT relating to search and rescue operations;
 2  establishing the Wyoming search and rescue council;
 3  delegating rulemaking authority; clarifying and modifying
 4  search and rescue account expenditures and administration
 5  as specified; and providing for an effective date.

 6 

 7  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

 8 

 9         Section 1.  W.S. 19-13-303 is created to read:

10 

11         19-13-303.  Search and rescue council; appointment;
12  vacancies; compensation; duties.

13 

14         (a)  The Wyoming search and rescue council is
15  established and shall consist of eleven (11) voting
16  members. The coordinator of the Wyoming emergency
17  management agency shall serve as a voting member and the

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 1  permanent executive secretary to the council. The governor
 2  shall appoint the remaining ten (10) members to serve four
 3  (4) year terms as follows:

 4 

 5              (i)  Three (3) county sheriffs;

 6 

 7              (ii)  One (1) county commissioner;

 8 

 9              (iii)  One (1) peace officer at large; and

10 

11              (iv)  Five (5) citizens.

12 

13         (b)  Council members appointed by virtue of their
14  elected positions shall resign from the council immediately
15  upon vacating their elected office. Individuals appointed
16  to fill council vacancies shall be appointed for the full
17  term and shall not be appointed to serve the remainder of
18  the unexpired portion of the term. The governor may remove
19  any appointed council member as provided under W.S.
20  9-1-202.

21 

22         (c)  Members shall serve without compensation but
23  shall receive mileage and per diem as provided for state
24  employees under W.S. 9-3-102 and 9-3-103.

 

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 1 

 2         (d)  The council shall adopt rules and regulations as
 3  necessary to administer this article.

 4 

 5         Section 2.  W.S. 19-13-301(b) and by creating a new
 6  subsection (c) and 19-13-302(a) and (b) are amended to
 7  read:

 8 

 9         19-13-301.  Search and rescue account; created;
10  expenditures.

11 

12         (b)  Revenues deposited within the search and rescue
13  account shall be expended by the Wyoming emergency
14  management agency to reimburse counties for costs directly
15  incurred in a specific search and rescue operation, subject
16  to W.S. 19-13-302 and rules and regulations adopted by the
17  Wyoming emergency management agencysearch and rescue
18  council. Expenditures for reimbursement pursuant to this
19  subsection shall receive priority over all other authorized
20  account expenditures. No revenues deposited within the
21  account shall be used to reimburse counties for any salary
22  or benefits normally paid to its employees.

23 

 

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 1         (c)  Subject to subsection (b) of this section, the
 2  Wyoming emergency management agency may expend revenues
 3  available within the search and rescue account for other
 4  search and rescue program purposes including:

 5 

 6              (i)  Administration of the Wyoming search and
 7  rescue program;

 8 

 9              (ii)  Search and rescue training programs for
10  Wyoming search and rescue personnel;

11 

12              (iii)  Acquisition and maintenance of search and
13  rescue equipment used in Wyoming;

14 

15              (iv)  Development and maintenance of statewide
16  search and rescue overhead teams.

17 

18         19-13-302.  Search and rescue account administration.

19 

20         (a)  Upon written request through a board of county
21  commissioners, Any county sheriff's office in this state
22  may make a claim on the search and rescue account for
23  reimbursement of costs directly incurred in the performance
24  of search and rescue activities. All claims Any claim made

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 1  pursuant to this subsection shall be submitted to the
 2  Wyoming emergency management agency. Upon receipt, the
 3  Wyoming emergency management agency shall adopt rules and
 4  regulations for the procedure through which claims shall be
 5  approved or deniedtransmit the claim to the Wyoming search
 6  and rescue council for review and action in accordance with
 7  subsection (b) of this section.

 8 

 9         (b)  The Wyoming emergency management agencysearch
10  and rescue council shall review and act upon all claims
11  submitted under subsection (a) of this section no later
12  than May 1June 30 following the year in which expenses
13  were incurred for the claim submitted. Subject to the
14  availability of funds, the Wyoming emergency management
15  agency may authorize payment from the account to the county
16  for an approved claim and may authorize payment for
17  approved claims directly to an unpaid vendor who has
18  supplied material or services to a county. The Wyoming
19  emergency management agency shall only authorize payments
20  under this subsection after it has received and acted upon
21  all claims submitted for expenses incurred in the preceding
22  year.If there are insufficient funds to pay all approved
23  claims, the Wyoming emergency management agency shall
24  prorate reimbursement among all approved claims. Payments

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 1  authorized by through the governor's officeWyoming
 2  emergency management agency pursuant to this section shall
 3  be paid by the state treasurer by warrant issued by the
 4  state auditor upon vouchers signed by the Wyoming emergency
 5  management coordinator or his designee.

 6 

 7         Section 3.  W.S. 19-13-302(c) is repealed.

 8 

 9         Section 4.  This act is effective July 1, 2001.

10 

11                         (END)

 

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