Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 44-146.18:3 as follows:
§ 44-146.18:3. Office of Preparedness and Coordination created; duties; responsibilities of local governments and private industry.
A. There is hereby created within the Department of Emergency Management an Office of Preparedness and Coordination (the "Office"). The Office shall be responsible for coordinating with local governments and private industry to ensure the Commonwealth has the most up-to-date preparedness plans to respond to and prevent acts of terrorism.
B. The Office shall consist of representatives of the Office of the Secretary of Technology, the Virginia National Guard, and the Departments of Health, State Police, Transportation, Rail and Public Transportation, and Aviation. The Department of Emergency Management shall provide staff to the Office.
C. The Office shall have the following duties:
1. Conduct an emergency management assessment in cooperation with local governments, private industry, public and quasi-public hospitals, and other entities, public or private, deemed vital by the Office to public safety. The assessment shall include security plans and emergency response plans and the names of officials who provide specialized services or expertise, such as HAZMAT, bioterrorism, information technology or other areas deemed appropriate by the Office. The assessment shall be updated annually;
2. Report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before December 31 of each year on the status of emergency management assessment plans throughout the Commonwealth and other measures taken or recommended to respond to or prevent acts of terrorism;
3. Notify all localities and private industry immediately about any threats or potential threats or changes in the Commonwealth's threat posture;
4. Provide regular updates to all localities and private industry on security and preparedness plans; and
5. Do all other acts necessary or advisable in carrying out the purposes of this section.
D. All local governments and public and quasi-public hospitals shall provide an annually-updated emergency management assessment plan to the Office on or before July 1 of each year.
E. Private industry, whose goods and services are deemed vital by the Office to the public good, shall provide annually-updated security and preparedness assessments to the Office on or before July 1 of each year.
F. For the purposes of this section, "private industry" means utility companies, private hospitals, and other businesses or organizations deemed by the Office to be essential to the public safety and well-being of the citizens of the Commonwealth.