General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6488
January Session, 2013 LCO No. 3558
*03558_______PS_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
Introduced by:
(PS)
General Assembly
Raised Bill No. 6488
January Session, 2013
LCO No. 3558
*03558_______PS_*
Referred to Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY
Introduced by:
(PS)
AN ACT CONCERNING THE EVACUATION AND TEMPORARY SHELTERING OF CERTAIN ANIMALS DURING EMERGENCIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 28-5 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):
(b) The commissioner shall direct the preparation of a comprehensive plan and program for the civil preparedness of the state and integrate and coordinate that plan and program to the fullest extent possible with the civil preparedness plans of the federal government and of other states. Such plan and program shall include a description of resources and methods available in the event of an emergency for the nonmilitary evacuation of pets and service animals and the temporary sheltering of pets, service animals and animals trained to assist first responders. When the plan and program has been prepared, the commissioner shall present it to the Governor for his or her approval. When the Governor approves the plan, all government agencies, state or local, all civil preparedness forces in the state and all public service companies, as defined in section 16-1, shall carry out the duties and functions assigned by the plan and program as approved. The plan and program may, from time to time, be amended or modified in like manner. The commissioner shall coordinate the civil preparedness activities of the towns and cities of the state to the end that they shall be fully integrated with the state civil preparedness plan and program.
Sec. 2. Subsections (a) and (b) of section 28-7 of the general statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2013):
(a) Each town or city of the state shall establish a local organization for civil preparedness in accordance with the state civil preparedness plan and program, provided any two or more towns or cities may, with the approval of the commissioner, establish a joint organization for civil preparedness. The authority of such local or joint organization for civil preparedness shall not supersede that of any regularly organized police or fire department. In order to be eligible for any state or federal benefits under this chapter, not later than January 1, 2008, and annually thereafter, each town or city of the state shall have a current emergency plan of operations that has been approved by the commissioner. The plan shall be submitted to the commissioner after it has been approved by the local emergency management director and the local chief executive. Such plan may be submitted with a notice stating that the plan remains unchanged from the previous year's version. The emergency plan of operations of every town or city situated on the shoreline of the state shall contain provisions addressing an emergency caused by any existing liquefied natural gas terminal located on the Long Island Sound and every town or city situated on the shoreline of the state shall submit such plan to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public safety, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, and the commissioner to obtain approval. The committee shall hold a public hearing regarding such plan not later than thirty days after receiving the plan. Not later than five days after the hearing, the committee shall (1) hold a roll-call vote to approve or reject the plan, and (2) forward the plan and a record of the committee's vote to the General Assembly. Such emergency plan of operations shall not be approved by the commissioner unless the commissioner determines that the plan proposes strategies that address all the activities and measures of civil preparedness identified in subdivision (4) of section 28-1. Each town or city of the state shall consider whether to [provide] include in such plan provisions for the nonmilitary evacuation of livestock, [and] horses, [in such plan] pets and service animals, and the temporary sheltering of pets, service animals and animals trained to assist first responders.
(b) Each local organization for civil preparedness shall consist of an advisory council and an emergency management director appointed by the chief executive officer. The advisory council shall contain representatives of city or town agencies concerned with civil preparedness and representatives of interests, including business, labor, agriculture, veterans, women's groups, local and state animal humane organizations and others, which are important to the civil preparedness program in the particular community. The emergency management director shall be responsible for the organization, administration and operation of such local organization, subject to the direction and control of the commissioner. The chief executive officer may remove any local emergency management director for cause.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2013 28-5(b)
Sec. 2 October 1, 2013 28-7(a) and (b)
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2013
28-5(b)
Sec. 2
October 1, 2013
28-7(a) and (b)
Statement of Purpose:
To require the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection to evaluate state and local resources and plans available for the evacuation and sheltering of certain animals in the event of an emergency and to make such information more widely available.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]