Alabama § 27-2-85

§ 27-2-85.

(a) The Chief Resilience Officer shall develop, maintain, and implement a statewide resilience plan, with the general oversight and input from the council. The plan shall include the following components:

(1) Statewide Comprehensive Risk and Vulnerability Assessment. The plan shall evaluate the impacts of extreme weather and disasters; assess current and future risks across various hazards using historical data and future scenarios while factoring in land and water management practices; and examine effects on communities, infrastructure, the economy, and the environment. Additionally, a vulnerability assessment shall identify the social, economic, and environmental systems most at risk. The vulnerability assessment shall analyze risk exposure, potential costs, and impacts on state assets, government functions, local economies, and critical natural systems.

(2) Resilience Actions. The plan shall provide a prioritized list of resilience actions to address vulnerabilities, detailing their benefits, costs, and implementation timeline. Priority shall be given first to actions that reduce state costs associated with historic and persistent challenges or vulnerabilities that have calculable costs or expenditures and that remediate or prevent critical infrastructure failures that threaten public health, impair essential services, or place the state at risk of federal enforcement. Priority shall also be given to actions that effectively mitigate the impacts of future disasters, particularly those that provide multiple co-benefits, such as enhancing environmental stewardship, economic stability, or public health. Resilience actions that incorporate or restore natural features to achieve risk mitigation benefits shall also be prioritized, provided they are cost effective and demonstrate long-term advantages over alternative approaches. The plan shall also outline how these actions align with existing efforts by state agencies, local governments, and other entities, ensuring they complement the state hazard mitigation plan. Alabama state agencies engaged in resilience activities shall report those activities to the Chief Resilience Officer.

(3) Community Preparedness. The plan shall include strategies to enhance community awareness to prepare for, and protect against, hazards; to enable greater understanding of personal risks; to educate residents of the state about how to mitigate risks; and to increase knowledge of resources available for mitigation efforts.

(4) Implementation Strategy. The plan shall include an implementation strategy outlining how resilience actions will be enacted, funded, and tracked. It shall define roles, responsibilities, timelines, and metrics while prioritizing actions for high-risk vulnerabilities. The strategy shall also support partnerships, provide technical assistance, and ensure public access to data for planning and decision-making.

(b) The initial plan shall be completed by October 1, 2028, and shall be reviewed and updated at least every two years thereafter to ensure its continued effectiveness and relevance.