Amends TCA Title 4; Title 58, Chapter 2 and Title 68.

NATURAL DISASTER RESILIENCY TASK FORCE By no later than July 1, 2024, this bill requires the speaker of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, and the governor to establish the task force on natural disaster resiliency to study best practices in this state to develop and implement resiliency strategies in response to natural disasters in this state, including: (1) Preparation for and response to natural disasters in this state; (2) Access to and use of state and federal funding for natural disaster relief; (3) Creation of a short-term, medium-term, and long-term plan for natural disaster preparedness; (4) Communication between state and local authorities, and between such authorities and the public, when a natural disaster is imminent, during a natural disaster, and immediately after a natural disaster; (5) The efficient use of emergency personnel, law enforcement, healthcare providers and facilities, and public volunteers to prepare for and respond to a natural disaster; (6) Prioritizing response efforts of personnel, resources, and public funding based on need, and the creation of a rating system to identify areas of need that range from high priority to low priority, including the consideration of communities and populations that may be disproportionately affected by and vulnerable to natural disasters; (7) Reviewing the capability of appropriate state and local agencies to rapidly respond to a natural disaster and its aftermath, including the rapid provision of food, water, shelter, medical care, and other emergency aid, and developing recommendations to increase the efficiency of such rapid responses; (8) A review of natural disaster and emergency alert systems; (9) Recommendations to reduce the vulnerability of people and communities of this state to damage, injury, and loss of life and property resulting from natural disasters; and (10) Recommendations of other resiliency methods in preparation for and response to natural disasters. TASK FORCE MEMBERS This bill provides that the task force is composed of nine members, including (i) three members to be appointed by the governor, one of whom must be from each grand division of this state; (ii) three members to be appointed by the speaker of the senate, one of whom must be from each grand division of this state; and (ii) three members to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, one of whom must be from each grand division of this state. This bill requires the appointing authorities to make an effort to appoint members, both in a public and private capacity, with a background in (i) emergency medical care and response; (ii) emergency management; (iii) law enforcement; (iv) climate and weather research; (v) logistics; (vi) resource and funding management and distribution; (vii) academics pertaining to the cause of natural disasters; (viii) best practices in engineering, building codes, and structural design in relation to natural disasters; and (ix) public health and safety. This bill requires the members of the task force to serve voluntarily without compensation and to not be entitled to reimbursement of travel expenses incurred. If public funding is necessary to carry out the functions of the task force, such funding must be provided within the existing resources of this state. TASK FORCE MEETINGS This bill requires the governor to call the first meeting of the task force on or before October 1, 2024. At the first meeting, the task force must elect a chair. The task force must meet at least quarterly until such time as the task force makes its final recommendations and report. REPORT By no later than December 31, 2025, this bill requires the task force to complete its findings and make recommendations in a report to the governor and to the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives. The task force ceases to exist upon completion of the task force's report and recommendations.