Bill > A2324

Introduced Session

This bill would require any hazard mitigation plan (HMP) that is adopted or revised on or after the date the bill is enacted into law, either by the State Office of Emergency Management (OEM) or by a county office of emergency management, to address the current and future impacts of climate change, identify the specific hazards and risks associated with climate change, and include strategies to prevent and mitigate the impacts of climate change on the natural hazards identified through the planning process. The bill would require each HMP, among other things, to: (1) identify and analyze the existing and future threats to, and vulnerabilities of, resources of value including buildings, facilities, and equipment, which result from natural hazards that are caused or worsened by climate change; (2) identify the critical facilities, utilities, roadways, and other types of infrastructure that are necessary for evacuation, for sustaining assets and systems that protect life and property during a natural disaster, or for facilitating rapid recovery after a natural disaster; (3) include a social vulnerability assessment that evaluates how, and to what extent, socially vulnerable and underserved communities may be disproportionately impacted by climate change-related natural hazards; (4) include an assessment as to whether, how, and to what extent, identified climate change-related threats and vulnerabilities will impact the State's or county's ability, over time, to successfully implement other components of its HMP; (5) describe the proactive and preventive means, methods, strategies, procedures, protocols, and design and building standards that will be used under the HMP to eliminate or reduce climate change-related threats and vulnerabilities, to mitigate the hazardous impacts of climate change, and to mitigate the impacts of climate change on socially vulnerable communities; and (6) describe the means, methods, strategies, procedures, protocols, and design and building standards that will be used under the HMP to remediate or off-set the effects of natural hazards. The bill requires the climate change-related components of an HMP to be based on the most recent natural hazard projections and best available science. Finally, the bill further requires the provisions of a floodplain management plan, emergency response plan, post-disaster recovery plan, capital improvement plan, or similar plan, which is adopted or revised by the State, a county, or a local government or other local jurisdiction on or after the date the bill is enacted into law, to be consistent with, and to reflect, the natural hazard risks of the applicable HMP.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Wayne DeAngelo (D)*,  Shanique Speight (D)*,  Lisa Swain (D)*,  Linda Carter (D),  Herbert Conaway (D),  Yvonne Lopez (D),  Bill Moen (D),  Carol Murphy (D),  Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D), 

Withdrawn Because Approved P.L.2023, c.313. (on 01/09/2024)

Official Document