Kaine signs Deeds-sponsored emergency-management measure

April 10, 2008

The New Dominion

Item by Chris Graham

Legislation sponsored by Bath County Sen. Creigh Deeds requiring higher-education institutions in Virginia to adopt and keep current written crisis and emergency-management plans was signed into law by Gov. Tim Kaine yesterday.

Senate Bill 256 was introduced by Deeds, a candidate for the 2009 Democratic Party gubernatorial nomination, on a recommendation from a Virginia Tech review panel on behalf of Gov. Kaine.

The measure requires highed-ed institutions in Virginia to “conduct a comprehensive review and revision of its crisis and emergency management plan to ensure the plan remains current, and the revised plan shall be adopted formally by the board of visitors or other governing body” every four years.

“One of the many lessons we learned in the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech last April was that we can’t wait for the best of times to be prepared for the worst of times,” Deeds said. “While we all hope and pray a similar tragedy will never befall one of our institutions of higher learning again, the legislation signed by the Governor is an important step to ensure that we are ready.”