Department of Emergency Management (127)

Authority: Title 44, Chapters 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, Code of Virginia.

A. By September 1 of each year, the State Coordinator of Emergency Management shall assess emergencies and disasters that have been authorized sum sufficient funding by the Governor and provide to the Department of Planning and Budget written justification to support continuing sum sufficient funding longer than one year for a locally declared emergency (or disaster), three years for a state declared disaster, and five years for a nationally declared disaster.  At the same time, the state coordinator shall identify any disasters that can be closed due to fulfillment of the state’s obligations.

B.1. Localities and eligible private non-profit organizations that have received cost reimbursement through state and/or federal assistance programs to support homeland security and eligible recovery and mitigation projects and initiatives associated with disaster events, that are subsequently notified that either a portion or all of the funds provided are to be returned, shall reimburse the Virginia Department of Emergency Management for such overpayments, including any interest accrued on such funds, within sixty (60) days of being notified and receiving the request for reimbursement.  

2. Overpayment amounts shall be based on the difference between the amount reimbursed or prepaid to the entity involved by the Department of Emergency Management and the final amount approved by the granting agency.  Localities and eligible private non-profit organizations shall certify that no interest was earned on overpaid funds if no interest is included in the remittance.

3. If the entity does not reimburse the Virginia Department of Emergency Management within 60 days of being notified, the Comptroller is authorized to withhold the amount of overpayment from any eligible funds to be transferred to the locality or organization and redirect the funds withheld to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to satisfy the outstanding liability.

4. The Department of Emergency Management shall not provide future prepayments to any locality or eligible private non-profit organization once the Comptroller has been required to withhold funding. 

C. Included within this appropriation is $820,901 the first year and $820,901 the second year from the general fund that shall only be used for costs associated with transforming the agency’s information systems to conform with standards of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency.

D. Out of this appropriation, $28,876 the first year and $57,752 the second year from the general fund for the financing costs of purchasing two vehicles in the first year and an additional two vehicles in the second year through the state's master equipment lease purchase program. It is the intent that the department establish a schedule for replacing emergency response vehicles using the master equipment lease purchase program.