Section 21-P:5-a Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. - New Hampshire Statutes

   I. Notwithstanding the provisions of RSA 21-G and RSA 21-P:3, the commissioner, after consultation with the governor, shall nominate for appointment by the governor and council, a director of homeland security and emergency management, who shall serve at the pleasure of the governor. The director of homeland security and emergency management shall be qualified by education and experience and shall receive the salary provided in RSA 94:1-a.
   II. The director of homeland security and emergency management, under the supervision of the commissioner and the governor, shall devote full time and attention to overseeing the state-level planning, preparation, exercise, response to and mitigation of terrorist threats and incidents and natural and human-caused disasters. He or she shall serve as the state's primary contact with the federal Department of Homeland Security, and shall have authority to oversee and coordinate planning, response, and recovery efforts of all state agencies to terrorist events and natural and human-caused disasters and wide-scale threats to public safety. He or she shall collaborate with the department of health and human services and shall coordinate the efforts of other state agencies in preventing and responding to epidemics and other significant threats to the public health. All state agencies shall and are authorized to cooperate with the director in carrying out his or her duties as enumerated in this section.
   III. The director of homeland security and emergency management shall be eligible to be a group II member if he or she was a group II retirement beneficiary or member prior to his or her appointment.
   IV. The director of homeland security and emergency management shall keep the president of the senate and speaker of the house of representatives or their designees promptly informed of any impending or actual emergencies that require coordinated action with the legislative branch.

Source. 2006, 290:12, eff. July 1, 2006.