{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/2.2-222.1.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/2.2-222.1.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/2.2-222.1.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/2.2-222.1.html"}],"law_id":82922,"edition_id":1,"section_id":82922,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-222.1","catch_line":"Secretary to oversee and monitor the development, maintenance, and implementation of a comprehensive and measurable homeland security strategy for the Commonwealth","history":"2014, cc. 115, 490; 2019, c. 615.","full_text":"A\n\nThe Secretary shall ensure that, consistent with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Commonwealth implements a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action pursuant to securing the Commonwealth at both the state and local level against man-made and natural disasters. To that end, the Secretary shall take action to assign responsibility among agencies, jurisdictions, and subdivisions of the Commonwealth to affect the highest state of readiness posed by both man-made and natural disasters. In doing so, the Secretary shall ensure that preparedness initiatives will be effectively and efficiently coordinated, implemented, and monitored.B\n\nThe Secretary shall also oversee and monitor the development, maintenance, and implementation of a comprehensive and measurable homeland security strategy for the Commonwealth. To ensure a comprehensive strategy, the Secretary shall coordinate the homeland security strategy with the Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel, as established in § 2.2-222.3, and all state and local, public and private, councils that have a homeland security focus within the Commonwealth. The strategy shall ensure that the Commonwealth’s homeland security programs are resourced, executed, and assessed according to well-defined and relevant Commonwealth homeland security requirements. In support of the strategy, the Secretary shall provide oversight of the designated State Administrative Agency (SAA) for homeland security to ensure that applications for grant funds by state agencies or local governments describe well-defined requirements for planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action measures essential to Commonwealth security.C\n\nThe homeland security strategy shall (i) designate a state proponent for each goal identified in the strategy; (ii) identify which state agencies shall have responsibility for prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery requirements associated with each goal; (iii) prescribe metrics to those state agencies to quantify readiness for man-made and natural disasters; (iv) ensure that state agencies follow rigorous planning practices; and (v) conduct annual reviews and updates to ensure planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action is fully implemented at state and local levels of government.D\n\nThe Secretary shall ensure that state agencies develop and maintain rigorously developed response plans in support of the Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Operations Plan (COVEOP). The Secretary shall designate the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) as the primary agent to ensure that state agencies are compliant with the COVEOP. The Secretary shall further require that VDEM ensure the development of state agency and local disaster response plans and procedures, and monitor the status and quality of those plans on a cyclical basis to establish that they are feasible and suitable and can be implemented with available resources.E\n\nThe Secretary shall be responsible for the coordination and development of state and local shelter, evacuation, traffic, and refuge of last resort planning. The Secretary shall ensure that jurisdictions and subdivisions of the Commonwealth have adequate shelter, evacuation, traffic, and refuge of last resort plans to support emergency evacuation in the event of a man-made or natural disaster. To that end, the Secretary shall direct VDEM to monitor, review, and evaluate on a cyclical basis all shelter, evacuation, traffic, and refuge of last resort plans to ensure they are feasible and suitable and can be implemented with available resources.F\n\nThe Secretary shall also ensure that plans for protecting public critical infrastructure are both developed and fully implemented by those state agencies, jurisdictions, and subdivisions of the Commonwealth with responsibility for critical infrastructure protection.G\n\nThe Secretary is authorized, consistent with federal and state law and procurement regulations thereof, to contract for private and public sector services in homeland security and emergency management to enable, enhance, augment, or supplement state and local planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and corrective action capability as he deems necessary to meet Commonwealth security goals with such funds as may be made available to the Secretary or the Department of Emergency Management annually for such services.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":297205,"text":"The Secretary shall ensure that, consistent with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Commonwealth implements a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action pursuant to securing the Commonwealth at both the state and local level against man-made and natural disasters. To that end, the Secretary shall take action to assign responsibility among agencies, jurisdictions, and subdivisions of the Commonwealth to affect the highest state of readiness posed by both man-made and natural disasters. In doing so, the Secretary shall ensure that preparedness initiatives will be effectively and efficiently coordinated, implemented, and monitored.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":297206,"text":"The Secretary shall also oversee and monitor the development, maintenance, and implementation of a comprehensive and measurable homeland security strategy for the Commonwealth. To ensure a comprehensive strategy, the Secretary shall coordinate the homeland security strategy with the Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel, as established in § 2.2-222.3, and all state and local, public and private, councils that have a homeland security focus within the Commonwealth. The strategy shall ensure that the Commonwealth’s homeland security programs are resourced, executed, and assessed according to well-defined and relevant Commonwealth homeland security requirements. In support of the strategy, the Secretary shall provide oversight of the designated State Administrative Agency (SAA) for homeland security to ensure that applications for grant funds by state agencies or local governments describe well-defined requirements for planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action measures essential to Commonwealth security.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":297207,"text":"The homeland security strategy shall (i) designate a state proponent for each goal identified in the strategy; (ii) identify which state agencies shall have responsibility for prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery requirements associated with each goal; (iii) prescribe metrics to those state agencies to quantify readiness for man-made and natural disasters; (iv) ensure that state agencies follow rigorous planning practices; and (v) conduct annual reviews and updates to ensure planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action is fully implemented at state and local levels of government.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"3":{"id":297208,"text":"The Secretary shall ensure that state agencies develop and maintain rigorously developed response plans in support of the Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Operations Plan (COVEOP). The Secretary shall designate the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) as the primary agent to ensure that state agencies are compliant with the COVEOP. The Secretary shall further require that VDEM ensure the development of state agency and local disaster response plans and procedures, and monitor the status and quality of those plans on a cyclical basis to establish that they are feasible and suitable and can be implemented with available resources.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C","next_prefix":"E"},"4":{"id":297209,"text":"The Secretary shall be responsible for the coordination and development of state and local shelter, evacuation, traffic, and refuge of last resort planning. The Secretary shall ensure that jurisdictions and subdivisions of the Commonwealth have adequate shelter, evacuation, traffic, and refuge of last resort plans to support emergency evacuation in the event of a man-made or natural disaster. To that end, the Secretary shall direct VDEM to monitor, review, and evaluate on a cyclical basis all shelter, evacuation, traffic, and refuge of last resort plans to ensure they are feasible and suitable and can be implemented with available resources.","type":"section","prefixes":["E"],"prefix":"E","entire_prefix":"E","prefix_anchor":"E","level":1,"prior_prefix":"D","next_prefix":"F"},"5":{"id":297210,"text":"The Secretary shall also ensure that plans for protecting public critical infrastructure are both developed and fully implemented by those state agencies, jurisdictions, and subdivisions of the Commonwealth with responsibility for critical infrastructure protection.","type":"section","prefixes":["F"],"prefix":"F","entire_prefix":"F","prefix_anchor":"F","level":1,"prior_prefix":"E","next_prefix":"G"},"6":{"id":297211,"text":"The Secretary is authorized, consistent with federal and state law and procurement regulations thereof, to contract for private and public sector services in homeland security and emergency management to enable, enhance, augment, or supplement state and local planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and corrective action capability as he deems necessary to meet Commonwealth security goals with such funds as may be made available to the Secretary or the Department of Emergency Management annually for such services.","type":"section","prefixes":["G"],"prefix":"G","entire_prefix":"G","prefix_anchor":"G","level":1,"prior_prefix":"F"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14600,"edition_id":1,"name":"Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security","identifier":"8","label":"article","depth":5,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13579,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:48:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:48:49","permalink":{"id":171875,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14600,"identifier":"8","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13579,"edition_id":1,"name":"Governor's Secretaries","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13132,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:45:18","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:45:18","permalink":{"id":171625,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13579,"identifier":"2","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13132,"edition_id":1,"name":"Office of the Governor","identifier":"A","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12784,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:19","permalink":{"id":171457,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13132,"identifier":"A","token":"2.2\/I\/A","url":"\/2.2\/I\/A\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12784,"edition_id":1,"name":"Organization of State Government","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12749,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":171455,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12784,"identifier":"I","token":"2.2\/I","url":"\/2.2\/I\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12749,"edition_id":1,"name":"Administration of Government","identifier":"2.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":171453,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12749,"identifier":"2.2","token":"2.2","url":"\/2.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":74076,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-221","catch_line":"Position established; agencies for which responsible; additional powers and duties","url":"\/2.2-221\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-221","metadata":false},{"id":77264,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-221.1","catch_line":"Secretary to coordinate system for offender transition and reentry services","url":"\/2.2-221.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-221.1","metadata":false},{"id":66712,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-222","catch_line":"Secretary to provide annual reports on juvenile offenders","url":"\/2.2-222\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-222","metadata":false},{"id":82922,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-222.1","catch_line":"Secretary to oversee and monitor the development, maintenance, and implementation of a comprehensive and measurable homeland security strategy for the Commonwealth","url":"\/2.2-222.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-222.1","metadata":false},{"id":77314,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-222.2","catch_line":"Additional duties related to review of statewide interoperability strategic plan; state and local compliance","url":"\/2.2-222.2\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-222.2","metadata":false},{"id":61800,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-222.3","catch_line":"Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel; membership; duties; compensation; staff","url":"\/2.2-222.3\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-222.3","metadata":false},{"id":68785,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-222.4","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/2.2-222.4\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-222.4","metadata":false},{"id":86947,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-223","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/2.2-223\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-223","metadata":false},{"id":56107,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-224","catch_line":"Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to publish certain list","url":"\/2.2-224\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-224","metadata":false},{"id":74077,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-224.1","catch_line":"Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to establish information exchange program","url":"\/2.2-224.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-224.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":66712,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-222","catch_line":"Secretary to provide annual reports on juvenile offenders","url":"\/2.2-222\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-222","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":77314,"structure_id":14600,"section_number":"2.2-222.2","catch_line":"Additional duties related to review of statewide interoperability strategic plan; state and local compliance","url":"\/2.2-222.2\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-222.2","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/2.2-222.1\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2014. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 115<\/a> and 490<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 2019, chapter 615<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":61800,"section_number":"2.2-222.3","catch_line":"Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel; membership; duties; compensation; staff","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-222.3\/"}],"permalink":{"id":171889,"object_type":"law","relational_id":82922,"identifier":"2.2-222.1","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-222.1","url":"\/2.2-222.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/2.2-222.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/A\/2\/8\/2.2-222.1","dublin_core":{"Title":"Secretary to oversee and monitor the development, maintenance, and implementation of a comprehensive and measurable homeland security strategy for the Commonwealth","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 2.2-222.1","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> The Secretary shall ensure that, consistent with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Commonwealth implements a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action pursuant to securing the Commonwealth at both the state and local level against man-made and natural disasters. To that end, the Secretary shall take action to assign responsibility among agencies, jurisdictions<\/span>, and subdivisions of the Commonwealth to affect the highest state of readiness posed by both man-made and natural disasters. In doing so, the Secretary shall ensure that preparedness initiatives will be effectively and efficiently coordinated, implemented, and monitored. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The Secretary shall also oversee and monitor the development, maintenance, and implementation of a comprehensive and measurable homeland security strategy for the Commonwealth. To ensure a comprehensive strategy, the Secretary shall coordinate the homeland security strategy with the Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel<\/span>, as established in § 2.2-222.3<\/a>, and all state and local, public and private, councils that have a homeland security focus within the Commonwealth. The strategy shall ensure that the Commonwealth’s homeland security programs are resourced, executed, and assessed according to well-defined and relevant Commonwealth homeland security requirements. In support of the strategy, the Secretary shall provide oversight of the designated State Administrative Agency (SAA) for homeland security to ensure that applications for grant funds by state agencies or local governments describe well-defined requirements for planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action measures essential to Commonwealth security. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The homeland security strategy shall (i) designate a state proponent for each goal identified in the strategy; (ii) identify which state agencies shall have responsibility for prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery requirements associated with each goal; (iii) prescribe metrics to those state agencies to quantify readiness for man-made and natural disasters; (iv) ensure that state agencies follow rigorous planning practices; and (v) conduct annual reviews and updates to ensure planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action is fully implemented at state and local levels of government. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> The Secretary shall ensure that state agencies develop and maintain rigorously developed response plans in support of the Commonwealth of Virginia Emergency Operations Plan (COVEOP). The Secretary shall designate the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) as the primary agent to ensure that state agencies are compliant with the COVEOP. The Secretary shall further require that VDEM ensure the development of state agency<\/span> and local disaster response plans and procedures, and monitor the status and quality of those plans on a cyclical basis to establish that they are feasible and suitable and can be implemented with available resources. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

E.<\/span> The Secretary shall be responsible for the coordination and development of state and local shelter, evacuation, traffic, and refuge of last resort planning. The Secretary shall ensure that jurisdictions<\/span> and subdivisions of the Commonwealth have adequate shelter, evacuation, traffic, and refuge of last resort plans to support emergency evacuation in the event of a man-made or natural disaster. To that end, the Secretary shall direct VDEM to monitor, review, and evaluate on a cyclical basis all shelter, evacuation, traffic, and refuge of last resort plans to ensure they are feasible and suitable and can be implemented with available resources. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

F.<\/span> The Secretary shall also ensure that plans for protecting public critical infrastructure are both developed and fully implemented by those state agencies, jurisdictions<\/span>, and subdivisions of the Commonwealth with responsibility for critical infrastructure protection. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

G.<\/span> The Secretary is authorized, consistent with federal and state law<\/span> and procurement regulations thereof, to contract<\/span> for private and public sector services in homeland security and emergency management to enable, enhance, augment, or supplement state and local planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and corrective action capability as he deems necessary to meet Commonwealth security goals with such funds as may be made available to the Secretary or the Department of Emergency Management annually for such services. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nSECRETARY TO OVERSEE AND MONITOR THE DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE, AND\nIMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE AND MEASURABLE HOMELAND SECURITY STRATEGY FOR\nTHE COMMONWEALTH (\u00a7 2.2-222.1)\n\nA. The Secretary shall ensure that, consistent with the National Incident\nManagement System (NIMS), the Commonwealth implements a continuous cycle of\nplanning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking\ncorrective action pursuant to securing the Commonwealth at both the state and\nlocal level against man-made and natural disasters. To that end, the Secretary\nshall take action to assign responsibility among agencies, jurisdictions, and\nsubdivisions of the Commonwealth to affect the highest state of readiness posed\nby both man-made and natural disasters. In doing so, the Secretary shall ensure\nthat preparedness initiatives will be effectively and efficiently coordinated,\nimplemented, and monitored.\n\nB. The Secretary shall also oversee and monitor the development, maintenance,\nand implementation of a comprehensive and measurable homeland security strategy\nfor the Commonwealth. To ensure a comprehensive strategy, the Secretary shall\ncoordinate the homeland security strategy with the Secure and Resilient\nCommonwealth Panel, as established in § 2.2-222.3, and all state and local,\npublic and private, councils that have a homeland security focus within the\nCommonwealth. The strategy shall ensure that the Commonwealth’s homeland\nsecurity programs are resourced, executed, and assessed according to\nwell-defined and relevant Commonwealth homeland security requirements. In\nsupport of the strategy, the Secretary shall provide oversight of the designated\nState Administrative Agency (SAA) for homeland security to ensure that\napplications for grant funds by state agencies or local governments describe\nwell-defined requirements for planning, organizing, training, equipping,\nexercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action measures essential to\nCommonwealth security.\n\nC. The homeland security strategy shall (i) designate a state proponent for each\ngoal identified in the strategy; (ii) identify which state agencies shall have\nresponsibility for prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery\nrequirements associated with each goal; (iii) prescribe metrics to those state\nagencies to quantify readiness for man-made and natural disasters; (iv) ensure\nthat state agencies follow rigorous planning practices; and (v) conduct annual\nreviews and updates to ensure planning, organizing, training, equipping,\nexercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action is fully implemented at\nstate and local levels of government.\n\nD. The Secretary shall ensure that state agencies develop and maintain\nrigorously developed response plans in support of the Commonwealth of Virginia\nEmergency Operations Plan (COVEOP). The Secretary shall designate the Virginia\nDepartment of Emergency Management (VDEM) as the primary agent to ensure that\nstate agencies are compliant with the COVEOP. The Secretary shall further\nrequire that VDEM ensure the development of state agency and local disaster\nresponse plans and procedures, and monitor the status and quality of those plans\non a cyclical basis to establish that they are feasible and suitable and can be\nimplemented with available resources.\n\nE. The Secretary shall be responsible for the coordination and development of\nstate and local shelter, evacuation, traffic, and refuge of last resort\nplanning. The Secretary shall ensure that jurisdictions and subdivisions of the\nCommonwealth have adequate shelter, evacuation, traffic, and refuge of last\nresort plans to support emergency evacuation in the event of a man-made or\nnatural disaster. To that end, the Secretary shall direct VDEM to monitor,\nreview, and evaluate on a cyclical basis all shelter, evacuation, traffic, and\nrefuge of last resort plans to ensure they are feasible and suitable and can be\nimplemented with available resources.\n\nF. The Secretary shall also ensure that plans for protecting public critical\ninfrastructure are both developed and fully implemented by those state agencies,\njurisdictions, and subdivisions of the Commonwealth with responsibility for\ncritical infrastructure protection.\n\nG. The Secretary is authorized, consistent with federal and state law and\nprocurement regulations thereof, to contract for private and public sector\nservices in homeland security and emergency management to enable, enhance,\naugment, or supplement state and local planning, organizing, training,\nequipping, exercising, evaluating, and corrective action capability as he deems\nnecessary to meet Commonwealth security goals with such funds as may be made\navailable to the Secretary or the Department of Emergency Management annually\nfor such services.\n\nHISTORY: 2014, cc. 115, 490; 2019, c. 615.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}