This bill amends the All Hazard Emergency Management Act and the Public Health Emergency Response Act to establish legislative oversight over emergency declarations. It stipulates that a declaration of a state of emergency or a public health emergency will automatically terminate after ninety days unless the governor convenes a special session of the legislature to address the emergency circumstances. The special session must occur no later than the ninetieth day following the initial declaration. If the legislature does not act to restrict, suspend, or terminate the emergency declaration during this session, the governor may extend the declaration for an additional period not exceeding sixty days.

Furthermore, the bill specifies that the governor can only declare one state of emergency for a particular event, requiring legislative consent for any subsequent declarations related to the same event. The bill also amends existing law to clarify that a declaration of a public health emergency will cease to be in effect after ninety days unless the governor calls the legislature into special session, aligning it with the new provisions established for emergency declarations. This legislative oversight aims to ensure that the legislature has a role in managing emergency situations and prevents prolonged unilateral executive action.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 12-10A-5