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A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION reestablishing the Disaster Prevention and 1
Resiliency Task Force to study preparedness, mitigation, response, recovery, risk 2
assessment, inf rastructure resilience, and planning for natural disasters that impact the 3
Commonwealth. 4
WHEREAS, the Legislative Research Commission established the Disaster 5
Prevention and Resiliency Task Force during the 2025 Interim of the General Assembly 6
to study, review, and make recommendations regarding current and future policy needs to 7
address risk assessment, strategic planning, prevention of natural disasters, response 8
efforts, temporary housing, and relief strategies in the Commonwealth, and to submit 9
recommendations based on its findings to the Legislative Research Commission; and 10
WHEREAS, the task force held six meetings, received testimony from state 11
agencies, disaster readiness organizations, long -term recovery groups, state universities, 12
research instituti ons, and insurance associations, and discussed the Commonwealth's 13
current challenges in facing natural disasters, including risk assessment, strategic 14
planning, prevention of natural disasters, response efforts, temporary housing, and relief 15
strategies; and 16
WHEREAS, the Commonwealth has experienced an increase in the occurrence and 17
severity of natural disasters, as well as other disaster threats, including infectious 18
diseases, hazardous materials incidents, and man -made disasters that impact humans, 19
wildlife, and agricultural animals; and 20
WHEREAS, the Commonwealth ranks among the most disaster -impacted states in 21
the nation, with eight of the ten counties with the highest number of federal major 22
disaster declarations between 2011 and 2023 located in the Commonwealth; and 23
WHEREAS, preparedness efforts to prevent and mitigate natural disasters are 24
crucial to ensuring the safety and protection of the citizens of the Commonwealth in 25
future weather-related calamities. Additionally, research shows that every dollar spent on 26
disaster mitigation and resilience can return up to $13 in benefits through avoided 27
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damages, reduced disruptions, and faster recovery; and 1
WHEREAS, the General Assembly recognizes a continued need to study the 2
Commonwealth's current disaster readiness plans, as well as resilience models from other 3
states similar to that of Kentucky, in order to continue bettering the Commonwealth's 4
preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery, and to plan for future disasters; and 5
WHEREAS, one of the recommendations of the Disaster Prevention and Resiliency 6
Task force was to continue the work of the task force during the 2026 Interim; 7
NOW, THEREFORE, 8
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 9
Commonwealth of Kentucky, the Senate concurring therein: 10
Section 1. The Legislative Research Commission shall reestablish the Disaster 11
Prevention and Resiliency Task Force in order to: 12
(1) Study, review, and make recommendations regarding current and future 13
policy needs to address risk assessment, strategic planning, p revention of natural 14
disasters, response efforts, temporary housing, and relief strategies in the 15
Commonwealth; 16
(2) Evaluate preparedness and mitigation approaches employed by other states 17
with comparable population and economic characteristics to forecast and manage natural 18
disasters and determine effective governance, administration models, and policies that 19
may be suitable for adoption in the Commonwealth; 20
(3) Analyze fiscal aspects of various prevention, replacement, infrastructure, and 21
mitigation costs to identify cost -sharing opportunities and maximize the use of state and 22
federal funds allocated to disaster preparedness, mitigation, and relief; 23
(4) Analyze the role of the legislative and executive branches in preventing and 24
protecting against natural disasters as well as collaboration between federal, state, and 25
local governments and their respective agencies in preparedness, mitigation, and relief 26
efforts; 27
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(5) Review the functionality, duties, structure, independence, effectiveness, and 1
efficiency of the Commonwealth's various agencies, offices, and departments that engage 2
in activities intended to increase resilience to current and future disasters; 3
(6) Review publications, reports, and analyses of governance strategies relating to 4
statewide disaster resilience and risk reduction activities; 5
(7) Hear testimony from entities with experience in research on and expertise in 6
the structures, policies, and governance specific to statewide disaster resilience and risk 7
reduction activities; stormwater manageme nt and use; risks associated with drought, 8
wildfire, and extreme heat; urbanization impact; project and operational financing; 9
affordability; available grants; and appropriate partnerships; 10
(8) Hear testimony from individuals who have relevant professional, academic, or 11
research expertise, or who otherwise have significant experience in relevant areas, 12
including engineering, disaster preparedness and response, public planning, hydrology, 13
environmental protection, or climatology; 14
(9) Hear testimony from citizens from across the Commonwealth whose lives and 15
livelihoods have been affected by flooding, tornadoes, drought, fires, or other extreme 16
weather events; 17
(10) Assess available relevant data sources and identify data gaps relevant to 18
current and future mult i-hazard risks, including but not limited to data describing 19
precipitation patterns, stream flows, and riverine and flash flood risk; 20
(11) Review relevant past efforts to build disaster resilience across the 21
Commonwealth, including but not limited to activ ities and outcomes associated with the 22
Council for Community Recovery and Resilience created following the catastrophic 2022 23
flooding in eastern Kentucky; 24
(12) Review how other states have implemented or put in place state resilience 25
offices, chief resilie nce officers, and statewide resilience plans and assess whether these 26
models may be replicable in the Commonwealth; 27
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(13) Assess the need for any other alternative governance structures, operations, 1
management, and policy models designed to advance disaster resilience and risk 2
reduction outcomes across the Commonwealth; 3
(14) Explore options for expanded Commonwealth -wide resilience functions and 4
their potential impact on: 5
(a) Federal, state, and local funding; 6
(b) Commonwealth-owned real property and facilities; 7
(c) Commonwealth-owned construction; 8
(d) Insurance availability and affordability; 9
(e) Transportation infrastructure; 10
(f) Critical infrastructure and key resources; 11
(g) Stormwater management and use; 12
(h) Urbanization; 13
(i) Economic development and opportunity; 14
(j) Out-migration and labor force; 15
(k) Affordable housing availability; 16
(l) Assessment and accountability; 17
(m) Personnel and tenure; 18
(n) Transition and startup timelines; 19
(o) Implementation costs; 20
(p) Compliance with existing state and federal laws; and 21
(q) Any other issue; 22
(15) Identify and recommend a framework for a comprehensive, executable 23
strategy for long-term disaster resilience and risk reduction and identify the stakeholders, 24
partners, and top ics necessary to create a plan for long -term disaster resilience and risk 25
reduction; and 26
(16) Develop recommendations that include suggestions for proposed legislation or 27
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administrative action. 1
Section 2. The Disaster Pr evention and Resiliency Task Force shall be 2
composed of the following members, with final membership of the task force being 3
subject to the consideration and approval of the Legislative Research Commission: 4
(1) (a) Three members of the House of Representat ives to be appointed by the 5
Speaker of the House, one of whom the Speaker shall designate as co-chair; and 6
(b) Two members of the House of Representatives to be appointed by the 7
Minority Floor Leader of the House; and 8
(2) (a) Three members of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the 9
Senate, one of whom the President shall designate as co-chair; and 10
(b) Two members of the Senate to be appointed by the Minority Floor Leader of 11
the Senate. 12
Section 3. The Disaster P revention and Resiliency Task Force shall meet 13
monthly during the 2026 Interim of the General Assembly. The task force shall submit 14
findings and recommendations to the Legislative Research Commission for referral to the 15
appropriate committee or subcommittee thereof by December 1, 2026. 16
Section 4. Provisions of this Resolution to the contrary notwithstanding, the 17
Legislative Research Commission shall have the authority to alternatively assign the 18
issues identified herein t o an interim joint committee or subcommittee thereof, and to 19
designate a study completion date. 20