Virginia HB 1313 (2020) – Establishing the Chief Resilience Officer
On March 27, 2020, the Virginia state legislature passed HB 1313, codifying the position of Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) in Virginia law and vesting appointment authority in the Governor. The CRO position had initially been established through an announcement by Governor McCauliffe and was later formalized in Executive Order 24 issued by Governor Northam.
HB 1313 established the CRO as the primary coordinator for resilience and recurrent flooding initiatives statewide. Specific duties included: (1) serving as the primary point of contact on resilience and adaptation policy; (2) identifying areas of the Commonwealth at risk of recurrent flooding; (3) pursuing federal and state funding opportunities related to resilience; (4) coordinating flood resilience initiatives among state agencies; and (5) reviewing and commenting on local government plans for flood defenses or catchment areas upon request. The law also amended the State Flood Protection Plan statute to require coordination with the CRO, thereby integrating the role into existing floodplain and hazard mitigation planning efforts. Notably, the law allowed the CRO to hold other roles and did not create a dedicated office, enabling dual-hatted service.
The provisions were codified at §2.2-222.4, §2.2-435.11 and §10.1-659. These provisions were subsequently amended by SB 551, HB517, and HB 1458.
Publication Date: March 27, 2020
Related Organizations:
- State of Virginia
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- Laws
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