Includes acts of terrorism including biological, chemical or radiological terrorism within the definition of disaster for the purpose of local disaster preparedness plans; adds to what must be included within a county disaster preparedness plan.

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S2563-2013 Actions

• Mar 12, 2013: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
• Jan 22, 2013: REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS

S2563-2013 Meetings

Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs: Mar 12, 2013

S2563-2013 Votes

S2563-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S2563

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the executive law, in relation to local disaster preparedness
plans

PURPOSE:
To require counties to include in their existing disaster preparedness
plans to include biological, chemical or radiological terrorism in
the classification of disaster.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 20 of the
Executive Law, as amended by section 1 of part B of chapter 56 of the
laws 2010, is amended to include the definition of disaster to
include an act of biological, chemical or radiological terrorism
Counties will be required to include in their existing plans the
following:

A roster of volunteer medical personnel within the county who would
help in case of a disaster along with a plan to coordinate them;

An assessment of the county's healthcare infrastructure including the
number of hospital beds and doctor's offices;

A system to collect disease or exposure data as a result of the
disaster;

Identification of a local stockpile of pharmaceuticals that might be
used in case of a disaster;

A plan to identify and coordinate emergency services organizations
following a disaster;

Identify a county health official that would serve as a risk
communicator;

Use drills to test the plans; * Compliance with the National Incident
Management System; and

Provide an assessment as to the planning for and implementation of the
National Incident Management System.

Section 2 states this act shall take effect on the first of June next
succeeding the date on which it shall become law.

JUSTIFICATION:
Current law does not recognize terrorism as a cause of a disaster. One
of the greatest results of a terrorist attack is the fear it produces
in
the population and the disarray it aims to cause in government.
Requiring counties to take steps in order to coordinate their
emergency plans would make the State of New York more prepared for
any terrorist attack. This legislation will assess the healthcare


infrastructure, volunteer personnel and designating an official as a
risk communicator aim to mitigate the impact of a disaster.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2004 - S4749 Passed Senate
2006 - S179A Passed Senate
2008 - S4560 Referred to Veterans, Homeland Security and Veteran
Affairs
2010 - S4853 Referred to Veterans, Homeland Security and
Veteran Affairs
2011 - S5266 Reported and Committed to Finance
2012 - S5266 Reported and Committed to Finance

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of June next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

S2563-2013 Text

                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    2563

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                              January 22, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen.  BALL  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
    printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
    ty and Military Affairs

  AN ACT to amend  the  executive  law,  in  relation  to  local  disaster
    preparedness plans

    THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 20 of the executive
  law, as amended by section 1 of part B of chapter  56  of  the  laws  of
  2010, is amended to read as follows:

    a.  "disaster"  means  occurrence or imminent threat of wide spread or
  severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property  resulting  from  any
  natural  or man-made causes, including, but not limited to, fire, flood,
  earthquake, hurricane, tornado, high water, landslide,  mudslide,  wind,
  storm,  wave action, volcanic activity, epidemic, air contamination, ACT
  OF terrorism, INCLUDING BIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL, OR RADIOLOGICAL TERRORISM,
  cyber event, blight, drought, infestation, explosion, radiological acci-
  dent, nuclear, chemical, biological, or bacteriological  release,  water
  contamination, bridge failure or bridge collapse.
    S  2.  Subdivision 6 of section 23 of the executive law, as amended by
  section 4 of part B of chapter 56 of the laws of  2010,  is  amended  to
  read as follows:

    6. All plans for comprehensive emergency management developed by local
  governments  or  any  revisions  thereto  shall COMPLY WITH THE NATIONAL
  INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NIMS) AND be submitted to the commission  by
  December  thirty-first  of each year to facilitate state coordination of
  disaster operations.
    S 3. Subparagraph 4 of paragraph a of subdivision 7 of section  23  of
  the  executive  law,  as amended by section 4 of part B of chapter 56 of
  the laws of 2010, is amended and eight new subparagraphs 5, 6, 7, 8,  9,
  10, 11 and 12 are added to read as follows:


   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD07290-01-3

 S. 2563                             2

    (4)  such  other measures as reasonably can be taken to protect lives,
  prevent disasters, and reduce their impact[.];
    (5) A ROSTER OF VOLUNTEER MEDICAL PERSONNEL IN THE COUNTY WHO WOULD BE
  AVAILABLE  TO  RESPOND  TO  DISASTERS AND HAVE A PROCEDURE TO COORDINATE
  SUCH VOLUNTEERS;
    (6) ASSESSMENT AS TO THE EXTENT OF EACH  COUNTY'S  HEALTHCARE  INFRAS-
  TRUCTURE  WHICH  INCLUDES  THE AMOUNT OF HOSPITAL BEDS, DOCTOR'S OFFICES
  AND EMERGENCY HEALTH SERVICES AVAILABLE TO A DISASTER AREA;
    (7) DEVELOPMENT OF A SYSTEM FOR COLLECTING DISEASE  OR  EXPOSURE  DATA
  IMMEDIATELY AS A RESULT OF A DISASTER;
    (8)  IDENTIFICATION  OF A LOCAL STOCKPILE OF PHARMACEUTICALS AVAILABLE
  IN THE COUNTY, IF AVAILABLE, AND IDENTIFY HOW  TO  INTEGRATE  STATE  AND
  FEDERAL STOCKPILES INTO THE LOCAL SUPPLY;
    (9)  IDENTIFICATION  AND COORDINATION OF THE EMERGENCY SERVICES ORGAN-
  IZATIONS TO BE USED FOLLOWING A DISASTER;
    (10) DESIGNATING A COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIAL AS THE  HEALTH  RISK  COMMU-
  NICATOR;
    (11) CREATION OF DRILLS TO BE USED TO TEST SUCH PLANS; AND
    (12)  ASSESSMENT  AS  TO  THE  PLANNING  FOR AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
  NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
    S 4. This act shall take effect on the first of June  next  succeeding
  the date on which it shall have become a law.