The following words and phrases when used in this part shall have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the meanings given to them in this section:

"Agency." The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.

"Council." The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Council.

"Custodial child care facility." A child day care center as defined under section 1001 of the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public Welfare Code, or nursery school licensed or regulated by the Commonwealth.

"Disaster." A man-made disaster, natural disaster or war-caused disaster.

"Disaster emergency." Those conditions which may by investigation made, be found, actually or likely, to:

(1) affect seriously the safety, health or welfare of a substantial number of citizens of this Commonwealth or preclude the operation or use of essential public facilities;

(2) be of such magnitude or severity as to render essential State supplementation of county and local efforts or resources exerted or utilized in alleviating the danger, damage, suffering or hardship faced; and

(3) have been caused by forces beyond the control of man, by reason of civil disorder, riot or disturbance, or by factors not foreseen and not known to exist when appropriation bills were enacted.

"Disaster emergency-related work." The repair, renovation, installation, construction or rendering of services or other business activities that relate to infrastructure that has been damaged, impaired or destroyed by a disaster.

"Emergency management." The judicious planning, assignment and coordination of all available resources in an integrated program of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery for emergencies of any kind, whether from attack, man-made or natural sources.

"Emergency services." The preparation for and the carrying out of functions, other than functions for which military forces are primarily responsible, to prevent, minimize and provide emergency repair of injury and damage resulting from disasters, together with all other activities necessary or incidental to the preparation for and carrying out of those functions. The functions include, without limitation, firefighting services, police services, medical and health services, rescue, engineering, disaster warning services, communications, radiological, shelter, chemical and other special weapons defense, evacuation of persons from stricken areas, emergency welfare services, emergency transportation, emergency resources management, existing or properly assigned functions of plant protection, temporary restoration of public utility services and other functions related to civilian protection.

"Infrastructure." Real and personal property and equipment that is owned or used by any of the following that service multiple customers or citizens:

(1) A communications network.

(2) An electric generation, transmission and distribution system.

(3) A gas distribution system that provides the facilities and equipment for producing, generating, transmitting, distributing or the furnishing of gas directly to the end customer.

(4) A public or private water pipeline.

"Local emergency." The condition declared by the local governing body when in their judgment the threat or actual occurrence of a disaster is or threatens to be of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant coordinated local government action to prevent or alleviate the damage, loss, hardship or suffering threatened or caused thereby. A local emergency arising wholly or substantially out of a resource shortage may be declared only by the Governor, upon petition of the local governing body, when he deems the threat or actual occurrence of a disaster to be of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant coordinated local government action to prevent or alleviate the damage, loss, hardship or suffering threatened or caused thereby.

"Local organization." A local emergency management organization.

"Man-made disaster." Any industrial, nuclear or transportation accident, explosion, conflagration, power failure, natural resource shortage or other condition, except enemy action, resulting from man-made causes, such as oil spills and other injurious environmental contamination, which threatens or causes substantial damage to property, human suffering, hardship or loss of life.

"Natural disaster." Any hurricane, tornado, storm, flood, high water, wind-driven water, tidal wave, earthquake, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, drought, fire, explosion or other catastrophe which results in substantial damage to property, hardship, suffering or possible loss of life.

"Out-of-State business." A business entity whose services are requested by a registered business, the Commonwealth or a political subdivision of the Commonwealth for purposes of performing disaster emergency-related work in this Commonwealth. The term includes a business entity that is affiliated with a registered business in this Commonwealth solely through common ownership. The out-of-State business may not have any of the following:

(1) A presence in this Commonwealth, excluding prior disaster emergency-related work performed under section 7308(b)(1) (relating to laws suspended during emergency assignments).

(2) Any registration, tax filing or nexus in this Commonwealth within the past three calendar years.

"Out-of-State employee." An employee who does not work in this Commonwealth, unless the employee is performing disaster emergency-related work during a period under section 7308(b)(1).

"Person." An individual, corporation, firm, association, public utility, trust, estate, public or private institution, group, the Commonwealth or a local agency or political subdivision and any legal successor, representative or agency of the foregoing.

"Political subdivision." Any county, city, borough, incorporated town or township.

"Registered business." Any business entity that is registered to do business in this Commonwealth prior to a declared disaster or emergency.

"Resource shortage." The absence, unavailability or reduced supply of any raw or processed natural resource, or any commodities, goods or services of any kind which bear a substantial relationship to the health, safety, welfare and economic well-being of the citizens of this Commonwealth.

"War-caused disaster." Any condition following an attack upon the United States resulting in substantial damage to property or injury to persons in the United States caused by use of bombs, missiles, shellfire, nuclear, radiological, chemical or biological means, or other weapons or overt paramilitary actions, or other conditions such as sabotage.

(May 31, 1996, 2nd Sp.Sess., P.L.1762, No.2, eff. imd.; July 13, 2004, P.L.689, No.73, eff. 60 days; Oct. 31, 2014, P.L.3044, No.203, eff. 60 days)

2014 Amendment. Act 203 added the defs. of "disaster emergency-related work," "infrastructure," "out-of-State business," "out-of-State employee" and "registered business." Section 3 of Act 203 provided that the additions of the defs. shall apply to a disaster or emergency that is declared on or after the effective date of section 3.

2004 Amendment. Act 73 added the def. of "custodial child care facility."

1996 Amendment. Act 2, 2nd Sp.Sess., added the def. of "person."

References in Text. The short title of the act of June 13, 1967, P.L.31, No.21, known as the Public Welfare Code, referred to in the definition of "custodial child care facility," was amended by the act of December 28, 2015, P.L.500, No.92. The amended short title is now the Human Services Code.

Cross References. Section 7102 is referred to in section 2302 of Title 12 (Commerce and Trade).