Title 44, Title 44. Military and Emergency Laws

A. The Governor shall be Director of Emergency Management. He shall take such action from time to time as is necessary for the adequate promotion and coordination of state and local emergency services activities relating to the safety and welfare of the Commonwealth in time of di…

The Governor shall cause copies of any order, rule, or regulation proclaimed and published by him pursuant to § 44-146.17 to be transmitted forthwith to each member of the General Assembly.

In any case in which an order declaring a state of emergency relating to a communicable disease of public health threat, or successive related orders, issued by the Governor pursuant to subdivision (1) of § 44-146.17 includes any measure that closes schools or businesses or restr…

The Governor shall conduct an annual statewide drill on response to a large-scale disaster, including electrical power outages. Such drill shall include the participation of local governments, affected state agencies, public utilities, law-enforcement agencies, and other entities…

A. The State Office of Emergency Services is continued and shall hereafter be known as the Department of Emergency Management (the Department). Wherever the words "State Department of Emergency Services" are used in any law of the Commonwealth, they shall mean the Department of E…

There is hereby created a nonlapsing revolving fund which shall be maintained as a separate special fund account within the state treasury, and administered by the Coordinator of Emergency Management, consistent with the purposes of this chapter. All expenses, costs, and judgment…

In an emergency which does not warrant a gubernatorial declaration of a state of emergency, the Coordinator of Emergency Management, after consultation with and approval of the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, may enter into contracts and incur obligations necess…

A. For purposes of this section, unless the context requires otherwise, "first informer" means the critical radio or television personnel of a radio or television broadcast station engaged in (i) the process of broadcasting; (ii) the maintenance or repair of broadcast station equ…

A. The Department of Emergency Management (the Department) shall create a comprehensive tabulated annual report, known as the Virginia Comprehensive Emergency Management Report (the Report), that shall include the annual Threat Hazard Identification Risk and Assessment (THIRA) re…

A. There is established within the Department of Emergency Management a Division of Public Safety Communications (the Division), which shall be headed by a Virginia Public Safety Communications Coordinator, appointed by the State Coordinator with the advice and consent of the 9-1…

A. As used in this section, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Base map data" means the digitized common geographic data that is used by most geographic information systems applications to reference or link attribute or other geographic data. "Division" means the G…

There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the GIS Fund, hereafter referred to as the Fund. The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All moneys collected pursuant to subsection C of § 44-146.18:6 shall be paid in…

The State Coordinator of Emergency Management shall, on the recommendation of the Division Coordinator, (i) receive and disburse funds; (ii) enter into contracts for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this article; and (iii) rent office space and procure equipment, goo…

The Department of Emergency Management is hereby authorized to establish a nonstock corporation under Chapter 10 (§ 13.1-801 et seq.) of Title 13.1 as an instrumentality to assist the Department of Emergency Management and the Division in the development and acquisition of geogra…

A. Each political subdivision within the Commonwealth shall be within the jurisdiction of and served by the Department of Emergency Management and be responsible for local disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. Each political subdivision shall maintain in acco…

If two or more political subdivisions find that disaster operation plans and programs would be better served by interjurisdictional arrangements in planning for, preventing, or responding to disaster in that area, then direct steps may be taken as necessary, including creation of…

A. A local emergency may be declared by the local director of emergency management with the consent of the governing body of the political subdivision. In the event the governing body cannot convene due to the disaster or other exigent circumstances, the director, or in his absen…

A. In addition to disaster prevention measures included in state, local and interjurisdictional emergency operations plans, the Governor shall consider, on a continuing basis, hazard mitigation or other measures that could be taken to prevent or reduce the harmful consequences of…

A. Neither the Commonwealth, nor any political subdivision thereof, nor federal agencies, nor other public or private agencies, nor, except in cases of willful misconduct, public or private employees, nor representatives of any of them, engaged in any emergency services activitie…

In carrying out the provisions of the chapter, the Governor, the heads of state agencies, the local directors and governing bodies of the political subdivisions of the Commonwealth are directed to utilize the services, equipment, supplies and facilities of existing departments, o…

It shall be the duty of every organization for emergency management established pursuant to this chapter and of the officers thereof to execute and enforce such orders, rules and regulations as may be made by the Governor under authority of this chapter. Each organization shall h…

A. If the federal government allots funds for the payment of a portion of any disaster programs, projects, equipment, supplies or materials or other related costs, the remaining portion may be paid with a combination of state and local funds available for this purpose and consist…

A. In the case of a declaration of a state of emergency as defined in § 44-146.16, the Governor is authorized to expend from all funds of the state treasury not constitutionally restricted, a sum sufficient. Allotments from such sum sufficient may be made by the Governor to any s…

A. As used in this section, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Critical infrastructure" means real and personal property and equipment owned or used to provide public utility or communications services, including communications networks, electric generation facilit…

There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Emergency Shelters Upgrade Assistance Grant Fund, referred to in this section as "the Fund." The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All funds appropriated for such…

In the case of any state of emergency declared by the Governor in response to a communicable disease of public health threat, each utility that is engaged in the business of furnishing electricity, gas, water, or wastewater service and subject to the regulation of the State Corpo…

The Coordinator of the Department of Emergency Management, pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Virginia Waste Management Board, will maintain a register of shippers of hazardous radioactive materials and monitor the transportation within the Commonwealth of those hazardous…

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Department" means the Department of Emergency Management. "Nuclear power station" means a facility producing electricity through the utilization of nuclear energy for sale to the public which is required t…

A. For each nuclear power station in commercial operation on July 1, 1982, the person owning the station shall pay to the Department, within ninety days of such date, a one-time fee of $55,000. B. For each nuclear power station commencing commercial operation after July 1, 1982, …

All moneys received by the Department under this chapter shall be deposited in the state treasury and set apart in a special fund to be known as the "Radiological Emergency Preparedness Fund." Moneys deposited in this fund shall be expended by the Department to the extent appropr…

A. The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the development and implementation of a program to protect the environment and the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the Commonwealth from the threats and potential threats of accidents or incidents involving hazardous m…

In carrying out the purposes set forth in this chapter the Department shall have the authority to: 1. Coordinate the development of hazardous materials training programs and hazardous materials emergency response programs and plans with state and local government agencies and rel…

A. The Coordinator may enter into agreements with political subdivisions to provide hazardous materials emergency response within a specific geographical area of the Commonwealth on a state and political subdivision cost-sharing basis. The cost-sharing agreements shall be negotia…

A. Disbursements for costs and expenses, including, but not limited to equipment, material, hazardous materials emergency response operations and immediate accident or incident site cleanup costs and expenses in preventing or alleviating damage, loss, hardship, or suffering cause…

Each political subdivision shall appoint a hazardous materials coordinator. In appointing the hazardous materials coordinator, political subdivisions shall consider the requisite qualifications for hazardous materials coordinators as established by the Coordinator. The hazardous …

Any joint emergency planning committee serving Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax shall have the authority to require any facility within its emergency planning district to submit the information required and participate in the emergency planning provided for in Subtitle A of…