§ 5196b — Contributions For Personnel And Administrative Expenses

(a) To further assist in carrying out the purposes of this subchapter, the Administrator may make financial contributions to the States (including interstate emergency preparedness authorities established pursuant to section 5196(h) of this title) for necessary and essential State and local emergency preparedness personnel and administrative expenses, on the basis of approved plans (which shall be consistent with the Federal emergency response plans for emergency preparedness) for the emergency preparedness of the States. The financial contributions to the States under this section may not exceed one-half of the total cost of such necessary and essential State and local emergency preparedness personnel and administrative expenses. (b) A plan submitted under this section shall— (1) provide, pursuant to State law, that the plan shall be in effect in all political subdivisions of the State and be mandatory on them and be administered or supervised by a single State agency; (2) provide that the State shall share the financial assistance with that provided by the Federal Government under this section from any source determined by it to be consistent with State law; (3) provide for the development of State and local emergency preparedness operational plans, including a catastrophic incident annex, pursuant to standards approved by the Administrator; (4) provide for the employment of a full-time emergency preparedness director, or deputy director, by the State; (5) provide that the State shall make such reports in such form and content as the Administrator may require; (6) make available to duly authorized representatives of the Administrator and the Comptroller General, books, records, and papers necessary to conduct audits for the purposes of this section; and (7) include a plan for providing information to the public in a coordinated manner. (1) A catastrophic incident annex submitted under subsection (b)(3) shall be— (A) modeled after the catastrophic incident annex of the National Response Plan; and (B) consistent with the national preparedness goal established under section 743 of title 6, the National Incident Management System, the National Response Plan, and other related plans and strategies. (2) In developing a catastrophic incident annex submitted under subsection (b)(3), a State shall consult with and seek appropriate comments from local governments, emergency response providers, locally governed multijurisdictional councils of government, and regional planning commissions. (d) The Administrator shall establish such other terms and conditions as the Administrator considers necessary and proper to carry out this section. (e) 5196(h) and 5197(h) of this title shall apply. (f) For each fiscal year concerned, the Administrator shall allocate to each State, in accordance with regulations and the total sum appropriated under this subchapter, amounts to be made available to the States for the purposes of this section. Regulations governing allocations to the States under this subsection shall give due regard to (1) the criticality of the areas which may be affected by hazards with respect to the development of the total emergency preparedness readiness of the United States, (2) the relative state of development of emergency preparedness readiness of the State, (3) population, and (4) such other factors as the Administrator shall prescribe. The Administrator may reallocate the excess of any allocation not used by a State in a plan submitted under this section. Amounts paid to any State or political subdivision under this section shall be expended solely for the purposes set forth in this section. (g) In approving standards for State and local emergency preparedness operational plans pursuant to subsection (b)(3), the Administrator shall ensure that such plans take into account the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals prior to, during, and following a major disaster or emergency. (h) If a State fails to submit a plan for approval as required by this section within 60 days after the Administrator notifies the States of the allocations under this section, the Administrator may reallocate such funds, or portions thereof, among the other States in such amounts as, in the judgment of the Administrator, will best assure the adequate development of the emergency preparedness capability of the United States. (h) The Administrator shall report annually to the Congress all contributions made pursuant to this section.