WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2024 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5613

By Delegates Ridenour, Jennings, Adkins, and Mazzocchi

[Introduced February 12, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Government Organization]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §5-1-31, relating to requiring the Governor to establish crisis preparedness plans.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 1. THE GOVERNOR.

§5-1-31. Crisis preparedness plans.

(a) The Legislature finds that the government of West Virginia must be prepared for major crises that pose existential or major threats to the People of West Virginia.

(b) The Legislature finds that the global and national situations have become the most critical in decades.

(c) To protect West Virginia, the Governor will develop comprehensive whole-of-government plans to deal with crises that can pose existential or major threats to the People and governance of West Virginia.  The following crises will be priorities:

(1) Nuclear war, including nuclear strikes inside West Virginia;

(2) Major disruptions of the energy grid, gas lines, rail systems, and river transportation in West Virginia, including disruptions resulting from high altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) attacks, cyber-attacks, or physical attacks on key systems;

(3) Major cyber-attacks creating long term disruptions to West Virginia's communications systems;

(4) Invasion; and

(5) Insurrection.

(d) Plans created under subsection (c) of this section must include:

(1) Preventative measures the state government can take to pre-empt the impact of the crises;

(2) Mitigation measures;

(3) Immediate response;

(4) Remediation; and

(5) Recovery.

(e) The Department of Homeland Security will brief the Interim Committee on Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security no later than August 31, 2024, on tentative plans, and measures the state government is taking to facilitate the plans and additional mitigation measures the state government can take.  Final plans should be completed by November 30, 2024.  Periodic updates should be completed annually and be briefed to Interim Committee on Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security no later than each June.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the Governor to establish crisis preparedness plans.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.