2.2-306 - Secure Commonwealth Panel; membership; duties; compensation; staff. - Virginia Statutes

§ 2.2-306. Secure Commonwealth Panel; membership; duties; compensation; staff.

A. The Secure Commonwealth Panel (the Panel), is established as an advisoryboard, within the meaning of § 2.2-2100, in the executive branch of stategovernment. The Panel shall consist of 34 members as follows: three membersof the House of Delegates and two nonlegislative citizens to be appointed bythe Speaker of the House of Delegates; three members of the Senate ofVirginia and two nonlegislative citizens to be appointed by the SenateCommittee on Rules; the Lieutenant Governor; the Attorney General; theExecutive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia; the Assistant to theGovernor for Commonwealth Preparedness, the Secretary of Commerce and Trade,the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Secretary of Public Safety,the Secretary of Technology and the Secretary of Transportation or theirdesignees; two local first responders; three local governmentrepresentatives; two physicians with knowledge of public health; four membersfrom the business or industry sector; and four additional members from theprivate sector. Except for appointments made by the Speaker of the House ofDelegates and the Senate Committee on Rules, all other appointments shall bemade by the Governor. Additional ex officio members may be appointed to thePanel by the Governor at his discretion. Legislative members shall serveterms coincident with their terms of office or until their successors shallqualify. Nonlegislative citizen members shall serve for terms of four years.The Assistant to the Governor of the Office shall be the chairman of thePanel.

B. The Panel shall monitor and assess the implementation of statewideprevention, preparedness, response, and recovery initiatives and wherenecessary to review, evaluate, and make recommendations relating to theemergency preparedness of government at all levels in the Commonwealth.Additionally, the Panel shall facilitate cabinet-level coordination among thevarious agencies of state government related to emergency preparedness andshall facilitate private sector preparedness and communication. The Panelshall make quarterly reports to the Governor concerning the state's emergencypreparedness, response, recovery, and prevention efforts.

C. Members of the Panel shall serve without compensation but shall bereimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in thedischarge of their duties as provided in § 2.2-2825.

D. Staff support for the Panel and funding for the costs of expenses of themembers shall be provided by the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness.

(2006, cc. 860, 901; 2007, cc. 714, 729, 742.)