Emergency Management Plan Individuals with Animals

The act strongly encourages a locally defined or interjurisdictional emergency management plan amended or created on or after July 1, 2024, and requires, when practicable, as determined after consideration of specified required factors, a locally defined or interjurisdictional emergency management plan amended or created on or after January 1, 2025, to address the needs of an individual with an animal during an emergency by:

• Including provisions for the evacuation, shelter, and transport of an individual with an animal and that animal; and
• Requiring, to the extent practicable, that at least one shelter established during an emergency is designated to accommodate an individual with an animal and that animal.

The act also strongly encourages a city, county, or city and county to make available to the public, on or after January 1, 2025, information for animal emergency preparedness, including:

• Information for creating an evacuation plan and emergency checklist for individuals with animals consistent with recommendations publicly published by the United States department of agriculture and the federal emergency management agency;
• Local organizations that may provide emergency animal assistance; and
• Local emergency shelters, cooling centers, or warming centers, when active, that can accommodate an individual with an animal.

Lastly, the act also strongly encourages a city, county, or city and county, on or after January 1, 2025, to implement disability etiquette and service animal training to ensure that emergency response personnel are well prepared to interact with individuals with disabilities and their service animals during emergency situations.

APPROVED by Governor April 11, 2024

EFFECTIVE April 11, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)