§5196b Contributions for Personnel and Administrative Expenses

Summary

The Administrator can give money to States (and interstate emergency preparedness authorities) to help pay for necessary State and local emergency preparedness staff and administrative costs. The money must be tied to approved plans that match federal emergency response plans. Federal contributions cannot be more than one-half of the total cost. Plans must be statewide, run by one State agency, and include things like sharing other State funds, developing operational plans (including a catastrophic incident annex), hiring a full-time emergency preparedness director or deputy, reporting and audit rules, and a public information plan. The catastrophic annex must match federal plans and goals and be written with local governments and emergency responders. The Administrator can add other conditions, must follow related law, and will allocate funds each fiscal year based on rules and factors such as hazard criticality, State preparedness, population, and other factors. If a State does not submit an approved plan within 60 days after allocation notice, or does not use its funds, the Administrator may reallocate those funds. All money must be spent only for these purposes, and the Administrator must report yearly to Congress on the contributions. Plans must also address needs of people with household pets and service animals before, during, and after disasters.