10 LC
35 1601S
The
House Committee on Public Safety & Homeland Security offers the following
substitute to House Bill 124:
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
enact the "Emergency Management and Homeland Security Training Act"; to provide
a short title; to amend Code Section 35-5-5 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center available for
use by certain personnel, so as to authorize the center and regional police
academies to make space available for certain public safety training; to amend
Code Section 36-20-4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
training of elected members of county governing authorities, so as to provide
for newly elected members of a county governing authority or consolidated
government to complete a public safety training course to better prepare county
officials to respond in a state of public emergency; to amend Code Section
36-45-4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the training of
elected members of municipal governing authorities, so as to require newly
elected members of a municipal governing authority to complete a public safety
training course to better prepare municipal officials to respond in a state of
public emergency; to provide for contingencies; to provide for related matters;
to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
This
Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Emergency Management and Homeland
Security Training Act."
SECTION
2.
Code
Section 35-5-5 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
Georgia Public Safety Training Center available for use by certain personnel, is
amended by adding a new subsection to read as follows:
"(e)
Provided that space is reasonably available, the Georgia Public Safety Training
Center and regional police academies shall make classroom space available free
of charge for providing public safety instruction to local public officials as
required by Code Sections 36-20-4 and
36-45-4."
SECTION
3.
Code
Section 36-20-4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
training of elected members of county governing authorities, is amended by
adding a new subsection to read as follows:
"(c)
In addition to the training requirements found in subsection (a) of this Code
section and subject to the appropriation of funds by the General Assembly or
federal homeland security grants or other funds available to the Georgia
Emergency Management Agency, any person newly elected as a member of a county
governing authority or consolidated government shall enroll in, attend in class,
and satisfactorily complete a public safety course of instruction within his or
her first elected term of office. Such course of instruction shall include
matters pertaining to local preparedness for a natural or manmade disaster,
pandemic, or epidemic; crisis response team development; site surveys and safety
audits; crisis management planning; safe school planning; emergency operations
planning; bomb threat management; model safety plans; and similar instruction
related to responding in a state of public emergency. The course of instruction
shall also include matters relating to chain of command and methods of
communication. Such training shall be conducted at facilities of the Georgia
Public Safety Training Center, regional police academies, or other available
classroom space. The training curriculum shall be developed by the Georgia
Emergency Management Agency. The training shall be conducted by the Georgia
Emergency Management Agency at such times as will be determined by the agency.
All reasonable expenses of attending the training class required by this Code
section shall be paid through the Georgia Emergency Management
Agency."
SECTION
4.
Code
Section 36-45-4 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
training of elected members of municipal governing authorities, is amended by
adding a new subsection to read as follows:
"(c)
In addition to the training requirements found in subsection (a) of this Code
section and subject to the appropriation of funds by the General Assembly or
federal homeland security grants or other funds available to the Georgia
Emergency Management Agency, any person newly elected as a member of a municipal
governing authority government shall enroll in, attend in class, and
satisfactorily complete a public safety course of instruction within his or her
first elected term of office. Such course of instruction shall include matters
pertaining to local preparedness for a natural or manmade disaster, pandemic, or
epidemic; crisis response team development; site surveys and safety audits;
crisis management planning; safe school planning; emergency operations planning;
bomb threat management; model safety plans; and similar instruction related to
responding in a state of public emergency. The course of instruction shall also
include matters relating to chain of command and methods of communication. Such
training shall be conducted at facilities of the Georgia Public Safety Training
Center, regional police academies, or other available classroom space. The
training curriculum shall be developed by the Georgia Emergency Management
Agency. The training shall be conducted by the Georgia Emergency Management
Agency at such times as will be determined by the agency. All reasonable
expenses of attending the training class required by this Code section shall be
paid through the Georgia Emergency Management
Agency."
SECTION
5.
This
Act shall become effective on November 30, 2010.
SECTION
6.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.