Stockpile For Declared Disaster Emergencies

The act requires the division of homeland security and emergency management in the department of public safety (division) to procure and maintain a stockpile of essential materials that is available for distribution after the governor has a declared a disaster emergency. The division, in consultation with the department of public health and environment, may distribute the essential materials to state agencies, schools, local public health agencies, hospitals, primary care providers, or other health-care providers, or to any other individual or entity that the director of the division determines is in need as a result of the disaster emergency. The division may contract with a third-party entity to administer the stockpile.

To ensure that the materials in the stockpile are rotated prior to their expiration date, the act:

• Requires state agencies to procure essential materials from the division, to the extent possible; and
• Permits the division to donate or sell essential materials as necessary to avoid having stock that is past its expiration date. Any proceeds from the sale of the essential materials are credited to the newly created emergency stockpile rotation cash fund, which is continuously appropriated to the department of public safety for use by the division for administering the stockpile.

Under current law, the state board of health has the authority to adopt rules and to establish standards to assure that hospitals; other acute care facilities; county, district, and municipal public health agencies; and trauma centers are prepared for an emergency epidemic that is declared to be a disaster emergency. The act specifies that under this authority the state board may adopt rules or establish standards for the maintenance of an adequate stockpile of personal protective equipment for infection control and to assure staff proficiency in using the personal protective equipment.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)