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2007 SESSION

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076128724
SENATE BILL NO. 987 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the Senate Committee on Rules on February 2, 2007) (Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Deeds) A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-306 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Secure Commonwealth Panel; membership.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 2.2-306 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

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

A. The Secure Commonwealth Panel (the Panel), is established as an advisory board, within the meaning of § 2.2-2100, in the executive branch of state government. The Panel shall consist of 29 30 members as follows: three members of the House of Delegates and two nonlegislative citizens to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; three members of the Senate of Virginia and two nonlegislative citizens to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; the Lieutenant Governor;, the Attorney General;, the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court of Virginia, the Assistant to the Governor for Commonwealth Preparedness, the SecretariesSecretary 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 their designees; two local first responders; three local government representatives; two physicians with knowledge of public health; and four additional members from the private sector. Except for appointments made by the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Senate Committee on Rules, all other appointments shall be made by the Governor. Additional ex officio members may be appointed to the Panel by the Governor at his discretion. Legislative members shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office or until their successors shall qualify. Nonlegislative citizen members shall serve for terms of four years. The Assistant to the Governor of the Office shall be the chairman of the Panel.

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

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

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