                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

FLOOD PROTECTION PROGRAMS; COORDINATION (§ 10.1-659)

A. The provisions of this chapter shall be coordinated with the Virginia Coastal
Resilience Master Plan, the Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan, and federal,
state, and local flood prevention and water quality programs to minimize loss of
life, property damage, and negative impacts on the environment. This program
coordination shall include but not be limited to the following: flood
prevention, flood plain management, small watershed protection, dam safety,
shoreline erosion and public beach preservation, and soil conservation programs
of the Department of Conservation and Recreation; the construction activities of
the Department of Transportation, including projects that result in hydrologic
modification of rivers, streams, and flood plains; the nontidal wetlands, water
quality, Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area criteria, stormwater management,
erosion and sediment control, and other water management programs of the State
Water Control Board; the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program at the
Department of Environmental Quality; forested watershed management programs of
the Department of Forestry; the agricultural stewardship, farmland preservation,
and disaster assistance programs of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services; the statewide building code and other land use control programs of the
Department of Housing and Community Development; the habitat management programs
of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission; the hazard mitigation planning and
disaster response programs of the Department of Emergency Management; the fish
and wildlife habitat protection programs of the Department of Wildlife
Resources; the mineral extraction regulatory program of the Department of
Energy; the flood plain restrictions of the Virginia Waste Management Board;
flooding-related research programs of the state universities; local government
assistance programs of the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board; the
Virginia Antiquities Act program of the Department of Historic Resources; the
public health and preparedness programs of the Virginia Department of Health;
the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia; the State Corporation
Commission; and any other state agency programs deemed necessary by the
Director, and the Chief Resilience Officer of the Commonwealth. The Department
shall also coordinate with soil and water conservation districts, Virginia
Cooperative Extension agents, and planning district commissions, and shall
coordinate and cooperate with localities in rendering assistance to such
localities in their efforts to comply with the planning, subdivision of land,
and zoning provisions of Chapter 22 (&#xA7; 15.2-2200 et seq.) of Title 15.2.

B. The Director, in coordination with the Chief Resilience Officer of the
Commonwealth, shall hold meetings of representatives of the programs, entities,
and localities described in subsection A at least annually in order to
determine, coordinate, and prioritize the Commonwealth&#8217;s efforts and
expenditures to increase flooding resilience and flood preparedness and to
implement the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan and the Virginia Flood
Protection Master Plan. The Department shall review any revisions to the
Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan and provide an update on the progress of
the implementation of the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan at any such
meetings. The Department shall cooperate with other public and private agencies
having flood plain management programs and shall coordinate its responsibilities
under this article and any other law. These activities shall constitute the
Commonwealth&#8217;s flood resilience, preparedness, prevention, and protection
program.

C. 1. The Chief Resilience Officer, in coordination with the Special Assistant
to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection and the Director, shall
establish the Virginia Coastal Resilience Technical Advisory Committee (the
Committee) to assist with developing, updating, and implementing the Virginia
Coastal Resilience Master Plan.

   2. The Committee shall be comprised of representatives of state agencies,
   coastal planning district commissions, regional commissions, academic
   advisors, and any other representatives as needed. Members shall serve at the
   pleasure of the Governor and shall include the following individuals or their
   designees: the executive directors of coastal planning district commissions
   and regional commissions; the Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal
   Adaptation and Protection; the Director; the Director of the Virginia
   Department of Emergency Management; the Director of the Virginia Department of
   Housing and Community Development; the Executive Director of the Virginia
   Resources Authority; the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality;
   the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Transportation; the Director of
   the Virginia Transportation Research Council; the Commissioner of the Virginia
   Marine Resources Commission; the Director of the Institute for Coastal
   Adaptation and Resilience; the Associate Dean for Research and Advisory
   Services at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; the Director of the
   Virginia Coastal Resilience Collaborative at the College of William and Mary
   in Virginia; the Director of the Virginia Tech Center for Coastal Studies; the
   Director of the Environmental Resilience Institute at the University of
   Virginia; the Director of Virginia Sea Grant; the Director of Diversity,
   Equity, and Inclusion; and the Chief Data Officer of the Commonwealth. The
   Chief Resilience Officer shall serve as chairman of the Committee.

   3. The Chief Resilience Officer shall invite participation by the Commander of
   the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District; the Commander of the Navy
   Region Mid-Atlantic; and representatives of the seven federally recognized
   Tribal Nations indigenous to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

   4. Appointed members shall serve in an advisory role without compensation.

   5. The Committee shall meet at least quarterly.

   6. The Department, the Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal
   Adaptation and Protection, and the Coastal Zone Management Program shall
   provide staff support to the Committee.

   7. The Committee shall ensure that (i) risk evaluations and project
   prioritization protocols are regularly updated and are informed by the best
   applicable scientific and technical data; (ii) statewide and regional needs
   are addressed using the best applicable science and long-term resilience
   approaches; and (iii) the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Planning
   Framework is adhered to in the development and updating of the Virginia
   Coastal Resilience Master Plan. The Committee shall also review updates to the
   Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan and receive updates about the progress
   of the Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan at each meeting. Additionally,
   the Committee may be called upon to assist the Department with the development
   and updating of the Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan.

D. 1. The Director, in coordination with the Chief Resilience Officer of the
Commonwealth, shall establish the Virginia Flood Resilience Advisory Committee
(the Committee) to assist with developing, updating, and implementing the
Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan pursuant to § 10.1-602 and implementing
the Commonwealth&#8217;s flood resilience, preparedness, prevention, and
protection programs.

   2. The Committee shall be composed of the following individuals representing
   state agencies, or their designees: the Director, the Chief Resilience Officer
   of the Commonwealth, the Director of the Department of Emergency Management,
   the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, the
   Executive Director of the Virginia Resources Authority, the Director of the
   Department of Environmental Quality, the Commissioner of the Department of
   Transportation, the Director of the Office of Intermodal Planning and
   Investment, the Commissioner of Marine Resources, the Director of the
   Department of General Services, the Virginia Director of the Chesapeake Bay
   Commission, and the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Committee
   membership shall also include one representative from each of the following:
   the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions, the Virginia
   Municipal League, and the Virginia Association of Counties. The Director may
   invite participation by other representatives as deemed appropriate. The
   Director shall serve as chairman of the Committee. The Chief Resilience
   Officer of the Commonwealth shall serve as vice-chairman of the Committee.

   3. Members appointed to the Committee shall serve in an advisory role without
   compensation.

   4. The Committee shall meet at least two times per calendar year.

   5. The Department shall provide staff support to the Committee.

   6. The Committee shall receive updates to the Virginia Flood Protection Master
   Plan, the Coastal Resilience Master Plan, and other regional flood resilience
   plans. The Committee shall advise the Department on (i) assessing the impacts
   of flooding on people, the economy, and the environment; (ii) establishing and
   measuring flood resilience goals and metrics for the Commonwealth; (iii)
   prioritizing state policies, programs, funding, and other strategies to
   mitigate the impacts of severe and repetitive flooding; (iv) enhancing
   intergovernmental and interagency coordination for flood resilience planning
   and strategy implementation; (v) conducting stakeholder outreach and
   engagement in support of flood resilience planning and implementation; (vi)
   assisting local governments to minimize loss of life, property damage, and
   negative impacts on the environment resulting from flooding; and (vii) issues
   relating to the Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan in accordance with the
   requirements established in &#xA7; 10.1-602.

   7. The Director may establish subcommittees or other bodies to advise on the
   development and implementation of the Coastal Resilience Master Plan and other
   regional flood resilience plans.

   8. The Department shall engage with the following entities in the development
   of the Virginia Flood Protection Master Plan: the federally recognized Tribal
   Nations indigenous to the Commonwealth, the flooding-related research programs
   of institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth, the agricultural
   community, the economic development community, environmental nonprofit
   organizations, local governments, planning district commissions, regional
   commissions, the Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for each
   district that includes a portion of the Commonwealth, the Commander of the
   U.S. Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, and other federal facilities located within the
   Commonwealth.

HISTORY: 1989, cc. 468, 497; 2012, cc. 785, 819; 2013, cc. 756, 793; 2020, cc.
493, 958; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 532; 2022, cc. 494, 495; 2024, cc. 13, 753.