WHEREAS, South Carolina is increasingly vulnerable to the many natural and manmade hazards that threaten the lives and property of the people of this state; and

WHEREAS, as required by the South Carolina Code of Laws, Section 25-1-440(b), I am responsible for the development and coordination of a system of Comprehensive Emergency Management which shall include provisions for mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery; and

WHEREAS, I have identified the need to bring together in a coordinated manner the principal agencies of state government involved in all areas of hazard mitigation planning and programming to address mitigation opportunities and approaches in a cooperative and comprehensive manner that will best serve the entire state.

NOW, THEREFORE, by virtue of the power and authority vested in me as Governor pursuant to the Constitution and laws of South Carolina, I hereby order the establishment of the South Carolina Hazard Mitigation Interagency Coordinating Committee, which shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

To assist the Governor’s Office and the General Assembly in identifying the hazard mitigation issues and opportunities facing the state for the purpose of developing a comprehensive hazard mitigation strategy; and

To prepare strategies, policies, and reports on hazard mitigation issues, including hazard mitigation policy recommendations to the Governor, the General Assembly, and key state agencies involved in mitigation related areas within their normal agency missions; and

To ensure that state agencies and local governments collaborate and cooperate fully to develop and execute sustainable hazard mitigation actions that will reduce the risks posed by all hazards to this state; and

To coordinate with and support state agencies’ efforts in obtaining and administering federal and other grants, including post-disaster mitigation grants available pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, for the purposes of promoting hazard mitigation opportunities within the state.

I further order that the South Carolina Hazard Mitigation Interagency Coordinating Committee shall be comprised by the following voting members:

The Governor, or his designee;

The Director, South Carolina Emergency Preparedness Division, or his designee;

The Director, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, or his designee;

The Commissioner, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, or his designee; and

The Director, South Carolina Department of Insurance, or his designee.

The committee shall elect a chairperson from the membership on an annual basis and all staff support shall be provided from the resources of the member agencies.

The committee shall annually identify, within the South Carolina Hazard Mitigation Plan, those state agencies and organizations that have responsibilities and expertise in statewide hazard mitigation. These agencies and organizations shall be encouraged by the committee to become non-voting advisors and participants in the development and implementation of hazard mitigation planning and programming actions across the state.

This Order shall take effect immediately.