Reform of Mutual Aid Agreements for the National Capital Region

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I join my colleagues in the consideration of S. 1245, which will make some minor but much needed changes to the mutual aid agreements authorized by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 for the governments of the National Capital Region.

S. 1249 was received by the House on December 13, 2007 after being passed under unanimous consent by the Senate. The measure is authored by Senator BEN CARDIN of Maryland and is supported by the members of the National Capital Region, which includes the District of Columbia and surrounding local jurisdictions in Maryland and Virginia that are also part of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The legislative changes enacted by this measure are also backed by the State of Maryland and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

S. 1249 addresses and authorizes changes to two aspects of the original legislation. For starters, the measure adds a special purpose governmental authority category to be included as part of the area's mutual aid agreement. This newly created category will permit such entities as the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority to participate in the mutual aid agreement during the event of an emergency.

Secondly, S. 1245 grants the regional members of the mutual aid agreement additional flexibility in developing an exhaustive list of employees and authorized volunteers who will be committed to respond to a disaster on behalf of the various independent authorities and State or local governments.

Instead of having to keep a running tally of each individual employee or person participating in the agreement, S. 1245 will allow each of the overarching authorities to keep track of their own participants. This bill authorizes the former inclusion of volunteer entities, such as incorporated volunteer fire companies, to be covered under the mutual aid agreement.

So Mr. Speaker, since it is vitally important that we in the National Capital Region are prepared and ready to respond in the event of a major emergency or disaster, it is incumbent upon us that we pass S. 1245.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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