House corrects language on emergency response training to require "FEMA‑recognized" courses
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Summary
SB47, a technical fix to prior law, clarifies that disaster response volunteers must receive FEMA‑recognized training (administered locally, typically through local EMA) rather than training directly provided by FEMA; the House approved the bill unanimously.
The House adopted Senate Bill 47, a technical amendment clarifying training requirements for certified emergency response teams (CERT) that respond after disasters.
Representative Betso, sponsor on the floor, said the prior language in last year's law implied FEMA would deliver the training. He stated the bill corrects that by requiring "FEMA recognized training," language that preserves liability protections and training recognition while reflecting that FEMA does not directly provide all training.
Representative Jackson asked for clarification on the difference between "FEMA training" and "FEMA‑recognized training." Representative Betso responded that "the bill last year actually implied that FEMA would actually be doing the training, but FEMA doesn't do it; it's FEMA‑recognized training." He said recognized curricula are administered at the local level.
A member from Jefferson pressed for specifics about which entities provide the training. Betso said the training is driven through local emergency management agencies (local EMA), explaining, "the training curriculums that is approved by FEMA would be administered on the local level." He also noted he did not have a list of exact entities in the chamber.
The House adopted the bill. The clerk recorded adoption of the BR and final passage with unanimous recorded votes in the transcript. The bill as amended passed and will preserve the intended protections for CERT volunteers while aligning statutory language with how training is actually delivered.
