HB1048: Chief Resiliency Officer; Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to designate.

HOUSE BILL NO. 1048

Offered January 13, 2016
Prefiled January 13, 2016
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 2.2-222.4, relating to Chief Resiliency Officer.
Patron-- Hodges

Committee Referral Pending

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 2.2-222.4 as follows:

§ 2.2-222.4. Chief Resiliency Officer.

The Secretary shall designate a Chief Resiliency Officer. The Chief Resiliency Officer, who shall hold no other position, shall serve as the primary coordinator of resilience and adaptation initiatives in Virginia and as the primary point of contact regarding issues related to resilience and recurrent flooding.  The Chief Resiliency Officer shall be equally responsible for all urban, suburban, and rural areas of the Commonwealth.

The Chief Resiliency Officer shall identify and monitor those areas of the Commonwealth that are at greatest risk from recurrent flooding and increased future flooding and recommend actions that both the private and public sectors should consider in order to increase the resilience of those areas. The Chief Resiliency Officer shall initiate and assist with the pursuit of funding opportunities for resilience initiatives at both the state and local levels.