Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Article 6 of Chapter 6 of Title 10.1 a section numbered 10.1-660 as follows:

§10.1-660. Coastal Resilience Master Plan Technical Advisory Committee.

A. The Coastal Resilience Master Plan Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) is hereby established to provide independent advice and recommendations to the Office of the Governor and relevant executive branch agencies related to coastal resilience and the development and implementation of the Coastal Resilience Master Plan (the Master Plan). The TAC shall support the Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) and the Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection (SACAP) in evaluating coastal adaptation and protection project proposals, facilitating project implementation, and developing updates to the Master Plan.

B. The TAC shall be composed of representatives of state agencies, coastal planning district commissions (PDCs) and other regional commissions (RCs), and academic advisors, among others. Members shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor and shall include the following individuals or their designees:

1. The executive directors of each of the eight coastal PDCs and RCs;

2. The Director;

3. The Director of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management;

4. The Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development;

5. The Executive Director of the Virginia Resources Authority;

6. The Director of the Department of Environmental Quality;

7. The Director of the Virginia Transportation Research Council;

8. The Commissioner of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission;

9. The Coordinator of the Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency;

10. The Associate Dean for Research and Advisory Services of the Virginia Institute for Marine Science;

11. The Director of the Virginia Coastal Policy Center at the College of William and Mary in Virginia Law School;

12. The Director of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Center for Coastal Studies;

13. The Director of the Environmental Resilience Institute at the University of Virginia;

14. The Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District;

15. The Director of Virginia Sea Grant;

16. The Governor's Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer; and

17. The Governor's Chief Data Officer.

The CRO shall serve as chair of the TAC. Staff support shall be provided by the SACAP with assistance from the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, pursuant to a separate agreement. Appointed TAC members shall serve in an advisory role without compensation in accordance with §2.2-2100 and shall meet quarterly, at a minimum, as well as upon the call of the chair.

C. The duties of the TAC shall include the following:

1. Assist with creation of the Coastal Resilience Master Plan.

The TAC shall assist the CRO and SACAP with creating a full Master Plan by developing and implementing protocols for evaluation of projects and strategy proposals. Once the Master Plan process and initial Master Plan are finalized, the TAC shall continue to facilitate implementation, evaluate progress, and develop Master Plan updates.

2. Perform risk assessments and provide recommendations.

In support of completing the Master Plan, the TAC shall be responsible for tracking scientific developments, reviewing proposed local and regional actions, and recommending additional risk assessment and engineering studies as required to support:

a. Developing a prioritized list of coastal adaptation and protection projects;

b. Creating evaluative criteria for Master Plan projects; and

c. Making recommendations to strengthen state and non-state partnerships.