South Carolina Emergency Management and Homeland Security Statutory Authorities Summarized

Publication Date: June 2004

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Author(s):

Research Area: Government

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Abstract:

South Carolina’s primary emergency management statute, Title 25 of the South Carolina Code, sets out the roles of the governor and the state Emergency Management Agency. The statute also creates a public health emergency plan committee and provides for the negotiation of mutual aid agreements. State emergency management activities are funded by federal allocations, state matching grants, and a state disaster trust fund. The Emergency Interim Legislative Succession Act provides for the succession of powers in emergencies. Other provisions allow the state and local seats of government to be relocated in an emergency. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 modified many portions of state statutes concerning emergency management, emergency health powers, and freedom of information.

This report is one of a series that profiles emergency management and homeland security statutory authorities of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each profile identifies the more significant elements of state statutes, generally as codified. Congressional readers may wish to conduct further searches for related provisions using the Internet link presented in the last section of this report. The National Conference of State Legislatures provided primary research assistance in the development of these profiles under contract to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Summary information on all of the profiles is presented in CRS Report RL32287. This report will be updated as developments warrant.