House Bill 1625 — Back Country Search and Rescue Grant Program, Washington Legislature, 2025

Summary

House Bill 1625, State of Washington, 69th Legislature, 2025 Regular Session (H-0757.1), read first time 01/27/25 and referred to the Committee on Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans. Its title describes an act supporting back country search and rescue organizations and volunteers through the creation of the back country search and rescue grant program. Section 1 reenacts and amends the definitions in RCW 38.52.010. Section 3 adds a new section to chapter 38.52 RCW establishing the grant program, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, to be administered by the department. It also creates the back country search and rescue account in the state treasury for grants to search and rescue organizations and to political subdivisions.

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Full text

     H-0757.1

                                HOUSE BILL 1625


     State of Washington        69th Legislature         2025 Regular Session

     By Representatives Stuebe, Nance, Chase, Bernbaum, Waters, Keaton,
     Mendoza, Richards, Barkis, Ramel, Hunt, Parshley, Springer, Zahn,
     Davis, and Timmons

     Read first time 01/27/25.      Referred   to   Committee   on   Technology,
     Economic Development, & Veterans.




1        AN ACT Relating to supporting back country search and rescue
2    organizations and volunteers through the creation of the back country
3    search and rescue grant program; amending RCW 38.52.020; reenacting
4    and amending RCW 38.52.010; and adding a new section to chapter 38.52
5    RCW.


 6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:


 7       Sec. 1. RCW 38.52.010 and 2024 c 205 s 1 and 2024 c 60 s 2 are
 8   each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
 9       As used in this chapter:
10       (1) "911 emergency communications system" means a public 911
11   communications system consisting of a network, database, and on-
12   premises equipment that is accessed by dialing or accessing 911 and
13   that enables reporting police, fire, medical, or other emergency
14   situations to a public safety answering point. The system includes
15   the capability to selectively route incoming 911 voice and data to
16   the appropriate public safety answering point that operates in a
17   defined 911 service area and the capability to automatically display
18   the name, location, and telephone number of incoming 911 voice and
19   data at the appropriate public safety answering point.
20       (2) "Automatic location identification" means information about a
21   caller's location that is part of or associated with an enhanced or
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 1   next generation 911 emergency communications system as defined in
 2   this section and RCW 82.14B.020 and intended for the purpose of
 3   display at a public safety answering point with incoming 911 voice or
 4   data, or both.
 5       (3) "Automatic number identification" means a method for uniquely
 6   associating a communication device that has accessed 911 with the
 7   incoming 911 voice or data, or both, and intended for the purpose of
 8   display at a public safety answering point.
 9       (4) "Back country search and rescue" means a subset of search and
10   rescue that includes locating lost, injured, or deceased persons in
11   remote areas. Back country search and rescue requires specialized
12   training and equipment to assess and mitigate hazardous terrain or
13   conditions; access injured, stuck, stranded, entrapped, or deceased
14   persons; provide emergency medical and psychological care; and
15   evacuate or transport the rescued persons.
16       (5) "Baseline level of 911 service" means access to 911 dialing
17   from all communication devices with service from a telecommunications
18   provider within a county's jurisdiction so that incoming 911 voice
19   and data communication is answered, received, and displayed on 911
20   equipment at a public safety answering point designated by the
21   county.
22       (((5))) (6) "Broadcaster" means a person or entity that holds a
23   license issued by the federal communications commission under 47
24   C.F.R. Part 73, 74, 76, or 78.
25       (((6))) (7)(a) "Catastrophic incident" means any natural or
26   human-caused incident, including terrorism and enemy attack, that
27   results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or
28   disruption   severely   affecting  the   population,   infrastructure,
29   environment, economy, or government functions.
30       (b) "Catastrophic incident" does not include an event resulting
31   from individuals exercising their rights, under the first amendment,
32   of freedom of speech, and of the people to peaceably assemble.
33       (((7))) (8) "Communication plan," as used in RCW 38.52.070, means
34   a section in a local comprehensive emergency management plan that
35   addresses emergency notification of life safety information.
36       (((8))) (9) "Continuity of government planning" means the
37   internal effort of all levels and branches of government to provide
38   that the capability exists to continue essential functions and
39   services following a catastrophic incident. These efforts include,
40   but are not limited to, providing for: (a) Orderly succession and
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 1   appropriate changes of leadership whether appointed or elected; (b)
 2   filling vacancies; (c) interoperability communications; and (d)
 3   processes and procedures to reconvene government following periods of
 4   disruption that may be caused by a catastrophic incident. Continuity
 5   of government planning is intended to preserve the constitutional and
 6   statutory authority of elected officials at the state and local level
 7   and provide for the continued performance of essential functions and
 8   services by each level and branch of government.
 9       (((9))) (10) "Continuity of operations planning" means the
10   internal effort of an organization to provide that the capability
11   exists to continue essential functions and services in response to a
12   comprehensive array of potential emergencies or disasters.
13       (((10))) (11) "Department" means the state military department.
14       (((11))) (12) "Director" means the adjutant general.
15       (((12))) (13) "Emergency management" or "comprehensive emergency
16   management" means the preparation for and the carrying out of all
17   emergency functions, other than functions for which the military
18   forces are primarily responsible, to mitigate, prepare for, respond
19   to, and recover from emergencies and disasters, and to aid victims
20   suffering from injury or damage, resulting from disasters caused by
21   all hazards, whether natural, technological, or human caused, and to
22   provide support for search and rescue operations for persons and
23   property   in    distress.   However,   "emergency  management"   or
24   "comprehensive emergency management" does not mean preparation for
25   emergency evacuation or relocation of residents in anticipation of
26   nuclear attack.
27       (((13))) (14)(a) "Emergency or disaster" as used in all sections
28   of this chapter except RCW 38.52.430 means an event or set of
29   circumstances which: (i) Demands immediate action to preserve public
30   health, protect life, protect public property, or to provide relief
31   to any stricken community overtaken by such occurrences; or (ii)
32   reaches such a dimension or degree of destructiveness as to warrant
33   the governor proclaiming a state of emergency pursuant to RCW
34   43.06.010.
35       (b) "Emergency" as used in RCW 38.52.430 means an incident that
36   requires a normal police, coroner, fire, rescue, emergency medical
37   services, or utility response as a result of a violation of one of
38   the statutes enumerated in RCW 38.52.430.



                                     p. 3                          HB 1625
 1       (((14))) (15) "Emergency response" as used in RCW 38.52.430 means
 2   a public agency's use of emergency services during an emergency or
 3   disaster as defined in subsection (((13))) (14)(b) of this section.
 4       (((15))) (16) "Emergency services communication system" means a
 5   multicounty or countywide communications network, including an
 6   enhanced or next generation 911 emergency communications system,
 7   which provides rapid public access for coordinated dispatching of
 8   services, personnel, equipment, and facilities for police, fire,
 9   medical, or other emergency services.
10       (((16))) (17) "Emergency services communications system data"
11   includes voice or audio; multimedia, including pictures and video;
12   text messages; telematics or telemetrics; or other information that
13   is received or displayed, or both, at a public safety answering point
14   in association with a 911 access.
15       (((17))) (18) "Emergency worker" means any person who is
16   registered with a local emergency management organization, any
17   federally recognized Indian tribe as defined in RCW 43.376.010
18   provided the department is in receipt of a tribal government
19   resolution declaring its intention to be a participant in the
20   emergency worker program under this chapter, or the department and
21   holds an identification card issued by the local emergency management
22   director, tribal government, or the department for the purpose of
23   engaging in authorized emergency management activities or is an
24   employee of the state of Washington or any political subdivision
25   thereof who is called upon to perform emergency management
26   activities.
27       (((18))) (19) "Executive head" and "executive heads" means the
28   county executive in those charter counties with an elective office of
29   county executive, however designated, and, in the case of other
30   counties, the county legislative authority. In the case of cities and
31   towns, it means the mayor in those cities and towns with mayor-
32   council or commission forms of government, where the mayor is
33   directly elected, and it means the city manager in those cities and
34   towns with council manager forms of government. Cities and towns may
35   also designate an executive head for the purposes of this chapter by
36   ordinance.
37       (((19))) (20) "Expense of an emergency response" as used in RCW
38   38.52.430 means reasonable costs incurred by a public agency in
39   reasonably making an appropriate emergency response to the incident,
40   but shall only include those costs directly arising from the response
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 1   to the particular incident. Reasonable costs shall include the costs
 2   of providing police, coroner, firefighting, rescue, emergency medical
 3   services, or utility response at the scene of the incident, as well
 4   as the salaries of the personnel responding to the incident.
 5       (((20))) (21) "First informer broadcaster" means an individual
 6   who:
 7        (a) Is employed by, or acting pursuant to a contract under the
 8   direction of, a broadcaster; and
 9       (b)(i)    Maintains,   including    repairing   or    resupplying,
10   transmitters, generators, or other essential equipment at a broadcast
11   station or facility; or (ii) provides technical support services to
12   broadcasters needed during a period of proclaimed emergency.
13       (((21))) (22) "Incident command system" means: (a) An all-
14   hazards, on-scene functional management system that establishes
15   common standards in organization, terminology, and procedures;
16   provides a means (unified command) for the establishment of a common
17   set of incident objectives and strategies during multiagency/
18   multijurisdiction operations while maintaining individual agency/
19   jurisdiction authority, responsibility, and accountability; and is a
20   component of the national interagency incident management system; or
21   (b) an equivalent and compatible all-hazards, on-scene functional
22   management system.
23       (((22))) (23) "Injury" as used in this chapter shall mean and
24   include accidental injuries and/or occupational diseases arising out
25   of emergency management activities.
26       (((23))) (24) "Interconnected voice over internet protocol
27   service provider" means a provider of interconnected voice over
28   internet protocol service as defined by the federal communications
29   commission in 47 C.F.R. Sec. 9.3 on January 1, 2009, or a subsequent
30   date determined by the department.
31       (((24))) (25) "Life safety information" means information
32   provided to people during a response to a life-threatening emergency
33   or disaster informing them of actions they can take to preserve their
34   safety. Such information may include, but is not limited to,
35   information regarding evacuation, sheltering, sheltering-in-place,
36   facility lockdown, and where to obtain food and water.
37       (((25))) (26) "Local director" means the director of a local
38   organization of emergency management or emergency services.
39       (((26))) (27) "Local organization for emergency services or
40   management" means an organization created in accordance with the
                                     p. 5                          HB 1625
 1   provisions of this chapter by state or local authority to perform
 2   local emergency management functions.
 3       (((27))) (28) "Next generation 911" means an internet protocol-
 4   based system comprised of managed emergency services internet
 5   protocol networks, functional elements (applications), and databases
 6   that replicate enhanced 911 features and functions as defined in RCW
 7   82.14B.020(4) that provide additional capabilities designed to
 8   provide   access   to   emergency   services   from   all   connected
 9   communications sources and provide multimedia data capabilities for
10   public safety answering points.
11       (((28))) (29) "Next generation 911 demarcation point" means the
12   location and equipment that separates the next generation 911 network
13   from:
14       (a) A telecommunications provider's network, known as the ingress
15   next generation 911 demarcation point; and
16       (b) A public safety answering point, known as the egress next
17   generation 911 demarcation point.
18       (((29))) (30) "Next generation 911 emergency communications
19   system" means a public communications system consisting of networks,
20   databases, and public safety answering point 911 hardware, software,
21   and technology that is accessed by the public in the state through
22   911. The system includes the capability to: Route incoming 911 voice
23   and data to the appropriate public safety answering point that
24   operates in a defined 911 service area; answer incoming 911 voice and
25   data; and receive and display incoming 911 voice and data, including
26   automatic    location    identification    and    automatic    number
27   identification, at a public safety answering point. "Next generation
28   911 emergency communications system" includes future modernizations
29   to the 911 system.
30       (((30))) (31) "Next generation 911 emergency services internet
31   protocol network" means a managed internet protocol network used for
32   911 emergency services communications that is managed and maintained,
33   including security and credentialing functions, by the state 911
34   coordination office to provide next generation 911 emergency
35   communications from the ingress next generation 911 demarcation point
36   to the egress next generation 911 demarcation point. It provides the
37   internet protocol transport infrastructure upon which application
38   platforms and core services are necessary for providing next
39   generation 911 services. Next generation 911 emergency services
40   internet protocol networks may be constructed from a mix of dedicated
                                     p. 6                          HB 1625
 1   and shared facilities and may be interconnected at local, regional,
 2   state, federal, national, and international levels to form an
 3   internet protocol-based inter-network (network of networks).
 4       (((31))) (32) "Next generation 911 service" means public access
 5   to the next generation 911 emergency communications system and its
 6   capabilities by accessing 911 from communication devices to report
 7   police, fire, medical, or other emergency situations to a public
 8   safety answering point.
 9       (((32))) (33) "Political subdivision" means any county, city or
10   town.
11       (((33))) (34) "Public agency" means the state, and a city,
12   county, municipal corporation, district, town, or public authority
13   located, in whole or in part, within this state which provides or may
14   provide firefighting, police, ambulance, medical, or other emergency
15   services.
16       (((34)))   (35)    "Public   infrastructure   assistance"   means
17   supplementary state assistance provided to county governments and
18   federally recognized tribal governments, when authorized under
19   governor emergency proclamation for the cost of disaster-related
20   public property debris removal, emergency protective measures to
21   protect life and property, and permanent repair work to damaged or
22   destroyed public infrastructure.
23       (((35))) (36) "Public safety answering point" means the public
24   safety location that receives and answers 911 voice and data
25   originating in a given area as designated by the county. Public
26   safety answering points must be equipped with 911 hardware, software,
27   and technology that is accessed through 911 and is capable of
28   answering incoming 911 calls and receiving and displaying incoming
29   911 data.
30       (a) "Primary public safety answering point" means a public safety
31   answering point, as designated by the county, to which 911 calls and
32   data originating in a given area and entering the next generation 911
33   network are initially routed for answering.
34       (b) "Secondary public safety answering point" means a public
35   safety answering point, as designated by the county, that only
36   receives 911 voice and data that has been transferred by other public
37   safety answering points.
38       (((36))) (37) "Radio communications service company" means every
39   corporation, company, association, joint stock, partnership, and
40   person, their lessees, trustees, or receivers appointed by any court,
                                     p. 7                          HB 1625
 1   and every city or town making available facilities to provide
 2   commercial mobile radio services, as defined by 47 U.S.C. Sec.
 3   332(d)(1), or cellular communications services for hire, sale, and
 4   both facilities-based and nonfacilities-based resellers, and does not
 5   include radio paging providers.
 6       (((37))) (38) "Search and rescue" means the acts of searching
 7   for, rescuing, or recovering by means of ground, marine, or air
 8   activity any person who becomes lost, injured, or is killed while
 9   outdoors or as a result of a natural, technological, or human-caused
10   disaster, including instances involving searches for downed aircraft
11   when ground personnel are used. Nothing in this section shall affect
12   appropriate activity by the department of transportation under
13   chapter 47.68 RCW.
14       (((38))) (39) "Search and rescue organization" means a Washington
15   domestic nonprofit corporation organized under chapter 24.03A RCW and
16   registered with the Washington secretary of state or a group of
17   emergency workers recognized by and working with the local director,
18   whose primary purpose is search and rescue, has its principal place
19   of business established in a political subdivision of the state of
20   Washington, and is formally recognized by the local emergency
21   management organization of that political subdivision as being
22   available   for   participation  in   search   and    rescue   activities
23   consistent with RCW 38.52.400.
24       (40) "Telecommunications provider" means a telecommunications
25   company as defined in RCW 80.04.010, a radio communications service
26   company as defined in this section, a commercial mobile radio service
27   provider   as   defined   in  47  C.F.R.   Sec.    20.3,   providers   of
28   interconnected voice over internet protocol service as defined in
29   this section, and providers of data services.
30       (((39))) (41) "Washington state patrol public safety answering
31   points" means those designated as primary or secondary public safety
32   answering points by the counties in which they provide service.


33       Sec. 2. RCW 38.52.020 and 2015 c 61 s 2 are each amended to read
34   as follows:
35       (1) Because of the existing and increasing possibility of the
36   occurrence of disasters of unprecedented size and destructiveness as
37   defined in RCW 38.52.010(((5))) (14), and in order to insure that
38   preparations of this state will be adequate to deal with such
39   disasters, to insure the administration of state and federal programs
                                       p. 8                           HB 1625
 1   providing disaster relief to individuals, and further to insure
 2   adequate support for search and rescue operations, and generally to
 3   protect the public peace, health, and safety, and to preserve the
 4   lives and property of the people of the state, it is hereby found and
 5   declared to be necessary:
 6       (a) To provide for emergency management by the state, and to
 7   authorize   the  creation   of  local   organizations  for  emergency
 8   management in the political subdivisions of the state;
 9       (b) To confer upon the governor and upon the executive heads of
10   the political subdivisions of the state the emergency powers provided
11   herein;
12       (c) To provide for the rendering of mutual aid among the
13   political subdivisions of the state and with other states and to
14   cooperate with the federal government with respect to the carrying
15   out of emergency management functions;
16       (d) To provide a means of compensating emergency ((management))
17   workers who may suffer any injury, as herein defined, or death; who
18   suffer economic harm including personal property damage or loss; or
19   who incur expenses for transportation, telephone or other methods of
20   communication, and the use of personal supplies as a result of
21   participation in emergency management or back country search and
22   rescue activities;
23       (e) To provide programs, with intergovernmental cooperation, to
24   educate and train the public to be prepared for emergencies; and
25       (f) To provide for the prioritization, development, and exercise
26   of continuity of operations plans by the state.
27       (2) It is further declared to be the purpose of this chapter and
28   the policy of the state that all emergency management functions of
29   this state and its political subdivisions be coordinated to the
30   maximum extent with the comparable functions of the federal
31   government including its various departments and agencies of other
32   states and localities, and of private agencies of every type, to the
33   end that the most effective preparation and use may be made of the
34   nation's manpower, resources, and facilities for dealing with any
35   disaster that may occur.

36       NEW SECTION.   Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 38.52
37   RCW to read as follows:
38       (1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this
39   specific purpose, the back country search and rescue grant program is
                                     p. 9                          HB 1625
 1   established. The department shall administer the program. The
 2   department may adopt rules, in consultation with the emergency
 3   management council, to administer the program.
 4       (2) The back country search and rescue account is created in the
 5   state treasury. All receipts from legislative appropriations,
 6   donations, gifts, grants, or funds directed to the account from other
 7   public or private sources must be deposited into the account. Moneys
 8   in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures
 9   from the account may only be used by the department to provide grants
10   to:
11       (a) Search and rescue organizations for anticipated and incurred
12   back country search and rescue costs by search and rescue volunteers,
13   including planning, equipment, training, exercise, and operations;
14   and
15       (b) Political subdivisions which incur or budget for costs
16   related to back country search and rescue operations that are not
17   available for reimbursement through another mechanism.

                                  --- END ---




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