10-3-101. Declaration of policy. Because of the existing and increasing possibility of the occurrence of disasters or emergencies of unprecedented size and destructiveness resulting from enemy attack, sabotage, or other hostile action and natural disasters and in order to provide for prompt and timely reaction to an emergency or disaster, to ensure that preparation of this state will be adequate to deal with disasters or emergencies, and generally to provide for the common defense and to protect the public peace, health, and safety and to preserve the lives and property of the people of this state to the fullest extent practicable, it is declared to be necessary to:

(1) authorize the creation of local or interjurisdictional organizations for disaster and emergency services in the political subdivisions of this state;

(2) reduce vulnerability of people and communities of this state to damage, injury, and loss of life and property resulting from natural or human-caused disasters;

(3) provide a setting conducive to the rapid and orderly start of restoration and rehabilitation of persons and property affected by disasters;

(4) clarify and strengthen the roles of the governor, the legislature, state agencies, local governments, and tribal governments in prevention of, preparation for, response to, and recovery from emergencies and disasters;

(5) authorize and provide for cooperation in disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery;

(6) authorize and provide for coordination of activities relating to disaster prevention, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery by agencies and officers of this state and similar state-local, interstate, federal-state, and foreign activities in which the state, its political subdivisions, and tribal governments may participate;

(7) provide an emergency and disaster management system embodying all aspects of emergency or disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery;

(8) assist in prevention of disasters caused or aggravated by inadequate planning for public and private facilities and land use;

(9) supplement, without in any way limiting, authority conferred by previous statutes of this state and increase the capability of the state, local, and interjurisdictional disaster and emergency services agencies to perform disaster and emergency services;

(10) authorize the payment of extraordinary costs and the temporary hiring, with statutorily appropriated funds under 10-3-312, of professional and technical personnel to meet the state's responsibilities in providing assistance in the response to, recovery from, and mitigation of disasters in state, tribal government, or federal emergency or disaster declarations;

(11) ensure the protections under the first amendment of the United States constitution and under Article II, sections 6 and 7, of the Montana constitution of the rights of free speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of the press, and the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances;

(12) ensure the protection of the rights under the second amendment of the United States constitution and under Article II, section 12, of the Montana constitution; and

(13) ensure the continuity of religious services as essential services to the welfare of the people of the state.