A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to direct the north carolina division of emergency management, in consultation with the north carolina association of county commissioners, to study and develop plans to enhance disaster management capabilities at the county level. 
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Division of Emergency Management, in consultation with the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, shall study ways and develop plans to increase the capabilities of counties to plan for, respond to, and manage disasters at the local level.  Plans developed shall include time lines for implementation and estimates of funding needs and shall address:
(1)	Mandating, if determined necessary, the establishment and maintenance of emergency management agencies at the county level.
(2)	Increasing the number of counties employing full-time emergency management coordinators, such that every county in the State, either individually or pursuant to a joint undertaking between two or more counties, has a full-time local emergency management coordinator available.
(3)	Implementing an emergency management certification requirement for all local emergency management coordinators and other essential local emergency management personnel.
(4)	Developing a model registry for use by the counties in identifying functionally and medically fragile persons in need of assistance during a disaster and in allocating resources to meet those needs.
(5)	Establishing a registry program for functionally and medically fragile persons in all counties.
SECTION 2.  The Division of Emergency Management shall report the results of its study and provide the plans developed to the Chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management Recovery and the House of Representatives and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Natural and Economic Resources no later than December 1, 2008.  
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.