§725.6. State Unified Command Group

            A. The state Unified Command Group, herein referred to as "UCG", is hereby established and shall be composed of the members established by executive order of the governor. The UCG is the strategic decision making body for emergencies in the state with the governor serving as the unified commander. The complex array of traditional and emerging threats and hazards demands the application of a unified and coordinated approach to emergency incident management not only during emergencies but during day-to-day operations of state government.

            B.(1) The UCG shall hold meetings quarterly other than during a state declared emergency and at such times as the chairman deems necessary, beginning September 2008.

            (2) To the extent permitted by and in accordance with R.S. 44:1 et seq., each officer, board, commission, council, department, or agency of state government, and each political subdivision of the state shall make available all facts, records, information, and data requested by the UCG and cooperate with the UCG in carrying out the functions imposed by this Section.

            (3) The roles, duties, and activities of the UCG shall include but are not limited to the following:

            (a) Submitting recommendations to the legislature relative to any changes in state law necessary to remove barriers to achieving the goals of the UCG.

            (b) Submitting an annual report to the governor and entities involved in the statewide plan by January first of each year which includes a copy of the current or revised statewide communications interoperability plan.

            (c) Re-prioritizing initiatives in the statewide plan, as needed, to address immediate communication needs in cases of emergencies or disasters.

            (d) Centralizing coordination among multiple agencies, including local, state, and federal.

            (4) The UCG may adopt rules and procedures for its operation.

            (5)(a) The UCG is authorized to apply for, contract for, receive, and expend for its purposes any appropriation or grant from the state, its political subdivisions, the federal government, or any other public or private source.

            (b) The UCG shall allocate the funds according to the initiatives set forth in the statewide communications interoperability plan.

            (c) The UCG shall have oversight in reviewing the spending of federal funds and additional sources of funding earmarked for interoperability to optimize the investment and resources needed in planning, implementing, and maintaining a statewide communications interoperability plan.

            (6) Except as provided in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, only the UCG may take official action. There shall be the following four permanent subcommittees of the UCG and in addition, the UCG may establish other subcommittees as it deems advisable and feasible:

            (a)(i) An "interoperability subcommittee" is hereby established and shall be composed of the following members:

            (aa) Assistant deputy director of interoperability, or his designee.

            (bb) Commissioner of the division of administration, or his designee.

            (cc) Adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, or his designee.

            (dd) President of the Louisiana Sheriffs Association, Inc., or his designee.

            (ee) President of the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc., or his designee.

            (ff) President of the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association, or his designee.

            (gg) Chair of the regional parish homeland security and emergency preparedness directors committee, or his designee.

            (hh) The deputy secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety services, or his designee.

            (ii) Executive director of the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs, or his designee.

            (jj) A representative of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials.

            (kk) A representative of the Louisiana Ambulance Alliance.

            (ll) One representative from each of the nine GOHSEP regions. The initial representatives shall be designated by the executive order. Thereafter, the representatives shall be designated pursuant to a selection procedure determined by the interoperability subcommittee.

            (ii) The roles, duties, and activities of the subcommittee shall include but are not limited to:

            (aa) Designing, constructing, and assisting in administering and maintaining a statewide communications interoperability plan for first responders with the ability to transport and receive voice, data, image and video information during day-to-day operations, natural disasters, emergency response situations, and terrorist attacks.

            (bb) Leveraging the technical expertise of the committee and third-party resources to develop and approve procedural requirements and technical requirements to implement the statewide communications interoperability plan for first responders.

            (cc) Coordinating interoperability issues with emergency alert services, 911 services, 211 services, integrated criminal justice systems, as well as identifying other systems which may need to be addressed by the committee.

            (dd) Establishing advisory subcommittees for specific issues.

            (ee) Submitting a semi-annual report to the governor and to the UCG by January first and July first of each year which includes a copy of the current or revised statewide communications interoperability plan for first responders.

            (ff) Repealed by Acts 2018, No. 713, §3.

            (iii) The chairman of the subcommittee shall be the assistant deputy director of interoperability. All remaining officers shall be elected by and from the membership of the subcommittee.

            (iv) Members of the subcommittee shall be entitled to be reimbursed for actual expenses for travel consistent with allowances for state classified employees and approved by the chairman of the subcommittee, if funding is available.

            (v) The subcommittee shall meet at regular intervals at the direction of the chairman.

            (b)(i) A "first responders subcommittee" is hereby established and shall be composed of the following members:

            (aa) President of the Louisiana Sheriffs Association, Inc., or his designee.

            (bb) President of the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc., or his designee.

            (cc) President of the Louisiana Fire Chiefs Association, or his designee.

            (dd) Chair of the Regional Parish Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Directors Committee, or his designee.

            (ee) State fire marshal, or his designee.

            (ff) The deputy secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, public safety services, or his designee.

            (gg) The director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, or his designee.

            (hh) A representative for credentialed private nonprofit disaster volunteer groups, appointed by the chairman of the subcommittee.

            (ii) The roles, duties, and activities of the subcommittee shall include but are not limited to:

            (aa) Planning and advising on issues identified by the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and the UCG regarding first responders.

            (bb) Establishing advisory subcommittees for specific issues.

            (cc) Submitting an annual report to the governor and to the UCG by January first of each year.

            (iii) The chairman of the subcommittee shall be appointed by the director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. The representative of credentialed private nonprofit disaster volunteer groups shall be appointed by the chairman of the subcommittee. All remaining officers shall be elected by and from the membership of the subcommittee.

            (iv) Members of the subcommittee shall be entitled to be reimbursed for actual expenses for travel consistent with allowances for state classified employees and approved by the chairman of the subcommittee, if funding is available.

            (v) The subcommittee shall meet at regular intervals at the direction of the chairman.

            (c)(i) A "regional parish OEP parish directors subcommittee" is hereby established and shall be composed of the following members:

            (aa) Each regional parish office of emergency preparedness director, or his designee.

            (bb) The director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, or his designee.

            (ii) The roles, duties, and activities of the subcommittee shall include but are not limited to:

            (aa) Planning and advising on strategic emergency management issues from a regional perspective.

            (bb) Establishing advisory subcommittees for specific issues.

            (cc) Submitting an annual report to the governor and to the UCG by January first of each year.

            (iii) The chairman of the subcommittee and remaining officers shall be elected by and from the membership of the subcommittee on a rotational basis established by the subcommittee.

            (iv) Members of the subcommittee shall be entitled to be reimbursed for actual expenses for travel consistent with allowances for state classified employees and approved by the chairman of the subcommittee, if funding is available.

            (v) The subcommittee shall meet at regular intervals at the direction of the chairman.

            (d)(i) A "long term recovery subcommittee" is hereby established and shall be composed of the following members:

            (aa) The director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, or his designee.

            (bb) The executive director of the office of community development, disaster recovery unit, or his designee.

            (cc) The commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, or his designee.

            (dd) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, or his designee.

            (ee) The lieutenant governor, or his designee.

            (ff) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, or his designee.

            (gg) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, or his designee.

            (hh) The state superintendent of the Louisiana Department of Education, or his designee.

            (ii) The secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development, or his designee.

            (jj) The executive director of the Louisiana Housing Corporation, or his designee.

            (kk) The secretary of Louisiana Economic Development, or his designee.

            (ll) The chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, or his designee.

            (mm) The chairman of the regional parish office of emergency preparedness parish directors subcommittee.

            (ii) The roles, duties, and activities of the subcommittee shall include but are not limited to:

            (aa) Developing long-term recovery planning and advising on opportunities that will achieve sustainability efforts within affected localities.

            (bb) Establishing advisory subcommittees for specific issues.

            (cc) Submitting an annual report to the governor and to the UCG by January first of each year.

            (iii) The co-chairmen of the subcommittee shall be the director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and the director of the office of community development, disaster recovery unit. All remaining officers shall be elected by and from the membership of the subcommittee.

            (iv) Members of the subcommittee shall be entitled to be reimbursed for actual expenses for travel consistent with allowances for state classified employees and approved by the chairman of the subcommittee, if funding is available.

            (v) The subcommittee shall meet at regular intervals at the direction of the co-chairmen.

            (7) The UCG may recommend additions or deletions to the interoperability subcommittee on the statewide communications interoperability plan, but shall have no authority to change the system.

            Acts 2008, No. 797, §1; Acts 2018, No. 713, §§1, 3.