                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

POSITION ESTABLISHED; AGENCIES FOR WHICH RESPONSIBLE; ADDITIONAL POWERS AND
DUTIES (§ 2.2-221)

A. The position of Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security (the
Secretary) is created. The Secretary shall be responsible to the Governor for
the following agencies: the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority,
Department of Corrections, Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of
Criminal Justice Services, Department of Forensic Science, Virginia Parole
Board, Department of Emergency Management, Department of State Police,
Department of Fire Programs, and Commonwealth&#8217;s Attorneys&#8217; Services
Council. The Governor may, by executive order, assign any other state executive
agency to the Secretary, or reassign any agency listed above to another
Secretary.

B. The Secretary shall by reason of professional background have knowledge of
law enforcement, public safety, or emergency management and preparedness issues,
in addition to familiarity with the structure and operations of the federal
government and of the Commonwealth.
			Unless the Governor expressly reserves such power to himself, the Secretary
shall:

   1. Work with and through others, including federal, state, and local officials
   as well as the private sector, to develop a seamless, coordinated security and
   preparedness strategy and implementation plan.

   2. Serve as the point of contact with the federal Department of Homeland
   Security.

   3. Provide oversight, coordination, and review of all disaster, emergency
   management, and terrorism management plans for the state and its agencies in
   coordination with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and other
   applicable state agencies.

   4. Work with federal officials to obtain additional federal resources and
   coordinate policy development and information exchange.

   5. Work with and through appropriate members of the Governor&#8217;s Cabinet
   to coordinate working relationships between state agencies and take all
   actions necessary to ensure that available federal and state resources are
   directed toward safeguarding Virginia and its citizens.

   6. Designate a Commonwealth Interoperability Coordinator to ensure that all
   communications-related preparedness federal grant requests from state agencies
   and localities are used to enhance interoperability. The Secretary shall
   ensure that the annual review and update of the statewide interoperability
   strategic plan is conducted as required in &#xA7; 2.2-222.2. The Commonwealth
   Interoperability Coordinator shall establish an advisory group consisting of
   representatives of state and local government and constitutional offices,
   broadly distributed across the Commonwealth, who are actively engaged in
   activities and functions related to communications interoperability.

   7. Serve as one of the Governor&#8217;s representatives on regional efforts to
   develop a coordinated security and preparedness strategy, including the
   National Capital Region Senior Policy Group organized as part of the federal
   Urban Areas Security Initiative.

   8. Serve as a direct liaison between the Governor and local governments and
   first responders on issues of emergency prevention, preparedness, response,
   and recovery.

   9. Educate the public on homeland security and overall preparedness issues in
   coordination with applicable state agencies.

   10. Serve as chairman of the Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel.

   11. Encourage homeland security volunteer efforts throughout the state.

   12. Coordinate the development of an allocation formula for State Homeland
   Security Grant Program funds to localities and state agencies in compliance
   with federal grant guidance and constraints. The formula shall be, to the
   extent permissible under federal constraints, based on actual risk, threat,
   and need.

   13. Work with the appropriate state agencies to ensure that regional working
   groups are meeting regularly and focusing on regional initiatives in training,
   equipment, and strategy to ensure ready access to response teams in times of
   emergency and facilitate testing and training exercises for emergencies and
   mass casualty preparedness.

   14. Provide oversight and review of the Virginia Department of Emergency
   Management&#8217;s annual statewide assessment of local and regional
   capabilities, including equipment, training, personnel, response times, and
   other factors.

   15. Employ, as needed, consultants, attorneys, architects, engineers,
   accountants, financial experts, investment bankers, superintendents, managers,
   and such other employees and agents as may be necessary, and fix their
   compensation to be payable from funds made available for that purpose.

   16. Receive and accept from any federal or private agency, foundation,
   corporation, association, or person grants, donations of money, real property,
   or personal property for the benefit of the Commonwealth, and receive and
   accept from the Commonwealth or any state, any municipality, county, or other
   political subdivision thereof, or any other source, aid or contributions of
   money, property, or other things of value, to be held, used, and applied for
   the purposes for which such grants and contributions may be made.

   17. Receive and accept from any source aid, grants, and contributions of
   money, property, labor, or other things of value to be held, used, and applied
   to carry out these requirements subject to the conditions upon which the aid,
   grants, or contributions are made.

   18. Make grants to local governments, state and federal agencies, and private
   entities with any funds of the Secretary available for such purpose.

   19. Provide oversight and review of the law-enforcement operations of the
   Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.

   20. Take any actions necessary or convenient to the exercise of the powers
   granted or reasonably implied to this Secretary and not otherwise inconsistent
   with the law of the Commonwealth.

HISTORY: 1976, c. 732, §§ 2.1-51.16, 2.1-51.18; 1978, cc. 455, 606, 607, 820;
1984, cc. 720, 779; 1985, cc. 447, 448; 1986, c. 60; 1988, cc. 67, 173, 888;
1989, c. 733; 1990, cc. 1, 317; 1992, c. 81; 1996, c. 503; 2001, c. 844; 2006,
cc. 150, 326; 2011, cc. 780, 858; 2012, cc. 803, 835; 2014, cc. 115, 490; 2015,
cc. 38, 730; 2020, c. 88.