Maryland Executive Order 01.01.2024.31: Strengthening the State of Maryland’s Resilience Strategy
Issued by Governor Wes Moore on September 4, 2024, Maryland Executive Order 01.01.2024.31: Strengthening the State of Maryland’s Resilience Strategy prioritizes resilience against climate hazards and other threats to Maryland's infrastructure, economy, and vulnerable communities. The Order also builds on the 2022 Senate Bill 630, which established the Office of Resilience within the Maryland Department of Emergency Management, required the appointment of a Chief Resilience Officer, and set requirements for the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science to coordinate with the office. The EO adds additional duties to the Office of Resilience, sets requirements for executive branch agencies and departments to assist the Department of Resilience, provides detailed requirements for the two-, five-, and ten-year resilience plans established in the 2022 law, and establishes Agency Resilience Liaisons.
The Order adds additional duties to the Office of Resilience from those listed in the 2022 law. The Office and Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) must provide advice and recommendations concerning the statewide resilience strategy to the Executive branch and State agencies. It must maintain a list of Agency Resilience Liaisons as well as “all resilience, climate change, hazard mitigation, or related” groups and their missions, responsibilities, and legal authorities. It must also serve as the central coordinating Office for resilience-related funding opportunities, investments, risk analysis, and plans.
The Order sets requirements for executive branch agencies and departments to assist the Department of Resilience. Some responsibilities include providing support for risk-based communication to Maryland residents, providing natural hazard and climate change risk subject-matter expertise, and assisting local jurisdictions developing resilience plans.
The Order expands detailed requirements for two-, five-, and ten-year resilience plans established in the 2022 law. The existing law only established the plans, but set no detail about plan outcomes or specific actions. The Office must now develop risk-and evidence- based strategies to mitigate natural hazard risk to areas like housing and the environment. The Office must review building code adoption, investigate possible investments to improve adoption rates, as well as advise on improving building code against natural hazard risks. Finally, the Office must provide technical assistance on resilience policy and strategy.
The Order establishes and requires Agency Resilience Liaisons (ARLs) for all Executive Branch departments and independent agencies. The ARLs 1) serve as the main point of contact for resilience efforts, 2) receive and respond to resilience matters, 3) provide resilience updates to the Office, and 4) provide subject-matter expertise to the Office and CRO on resilience matters. The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, and the Maryland Environmental Service must also assist the CRO and ARLs.
Overall, the Order aims to bolster the state’s plans against natural disasters and climate change through planning, information-sharing, and inter-agency communication so that “State government functions are preserved in all hazardous events.” The Order, especially the requirements for resilience plans, are an excellent example of proactive mitigation activity. The new EO comes on the heels of Maryland’s Executive Order 01.01.2023.20, which aims to coordinate emergency responses across governmental agencies.
Publication Date: September 5, 2024
Related Organizations:
- Maryland Office of the Governor
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- Executive order
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