1. (a) If the governor finds that two or more adjoining counties would be served better by an interjurisdictional disaster agency than by maintaining separate disaster agencies and services, the governor shall order the establishment of an interjurisdictional disaster agency which is adequate to plan for, prevent or respond to disasters in that area and direct steps to be taken as necessary, including the creation of an interjurisdictional relationship and an interjurisdictional disaster emergency plan which provide for mutual aid or an area organization for emergency management. A copy of such order shall be given to the chairperson of the board of county commissioners of each county affected by such order and to the mayor or other principal executive officer of each city located within any such county, and such counties and cities shall act in accordance with such order. Any interjurisdictional agreement entered into by two or more counties which are ordered to establish an interjurisdictional disaster agency under this subsection, may designate a local council of defense, which was established in accordance with K.S.A. 48-909, and amendments thereto, for one of such counties and which was in existence on the day immediately preceding the effective date of this act, as such interjurisdictional disaster agency. Each interjurisdictional disaster agency shall cooperate with the disaster agency of any city located within any county under the jurisdiction of such interjurisdictional disaster agency, but shall not have jurisdiction within such cities having disaster agencies. A finding by the governor pursuant to this subsection shall be based on one or more factors related to the difficulty of maintaining an efficient and effective emergency management system on a single-jurisdiction basis, such as:

   1. (1) Small or sparse population;
   2. (2) limitations on public financial resources severe enough to make maintenance of a separate disaster agency and services unreasonably burdensome;
   3. (3) unusual vulnerability to disaster as evidenced by a past history of disasters, topographical features, drainage characteristics, disaster potential and presence of disaster-prone facilities or operations;
   4. (4) the interrelated character of the counties in a multi-county area; or
   5. (5) other relevant conditions or circumstances.

2. (b) Two or more counties, which are not under the jurisdiction of an interjurisdictional disaster agency pursuant to subsection (a), may be required by the governor, by an order issued in the manner prescribed in subsection (a), to participate and enter into an interjurisdictional agreement or arrangement without requiring the establishment and maintenance of such a disaster agency therefor, if the governor finds that:

   1. (1) Such counties, or the cities situated therein, have equipment, supplies and forces which are necessary to provide mutual aid on a regional basis; and
   2. (2) such counties have not made adequate provisions in their disaster emergency plans for the rendering and receipt of mutual aid for the emergency management needs of the entire region.
3. (c) If the governor finds that it would be desirable to establish an interstate mutual aid organization or an area organization for disaster for an area including territory in this state and any other state or states, the governor shall take such action as is necessary to achieve such objective. If this state has enacted the interstate civil defense and disaster compact and this action is taken with a jurisdiction which has also enacted the interstate civil defense and disaster compact, any resulting agreement with such jurisdiction may be considered a supplemental agreement pursuant to article VI of that compact.
4. (d) If this state, or any other jurisdiction with which the governor proposes to cooperate pursuant to subsection (c), has not enacted the interstate civil defense and disaster compact, the governor may negotiate a special agreement with such jurisdiction. Any such agreement, if sufficient authority for the making thereof does not otherwise exist, may become effective only if its text has been submitted to the legislature by filing a copy thereof with the legislative coordinating council, and neither house of the legislature has disapproved it by resolution during the next regular session of the legislature after such submission.

L. 1975, ch. 283, § 10; L. 1994, ch. 248, § 18; July 1.