Chief Patron: Lingamfelter
All-Hazards Plans (language only)

Item 65 #1h

Language
Page 32, after line 23, insert:
"The Office of Commonwealth Preparedness shall initiate an assessment of all jurisdictions in the Commonwealth to ensure all-hazards plans at the state and local level (1) fulfill the requirements of Section 322 of the Robert T. Stafford and Emergency Assistance Act as amended by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, (2) can obtain the approval of both the Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), (3) are adoptable by the constituent localities, (4) are truly all-hazards in scope, including both human-caused and natural hazards, and (5) are fully Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) compliant.  The Office of Commonwealth Preparedness shall further seek and administer, on behalf of localities in the Commonwealth, federal grants to support the updating of all non-compliant plans or, where no plan exists and should, the development of a plan.  Additionally, the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness shall seek private-sector expertise, where appropriate, to assist localities in updating or developing those plans.  The role of the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness in administering such grants to update or develop plans is to ensure the quality and effectiveness of such plans and, where applicable, the use of qualified private sector partners in an open competitive bid process to expedite plan updates or original plan development.  Plan updates or development shall be funded through such grants as the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness may secure from the federal government."

Explanation
(This amendment requires the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness to assess the quality of all-hazards plans developed by localities and to ensure these plans are up-to-date or that they are updated if inadequate. In expediting the update or establishment of such plans, the language indicates that private-sector expertise may be used with available federal funding. The Office of Commonwealth Preparedness is to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the plans that are updated or established.)