(A) The department shall coordinate appropriate drought response upon consultation with the Drought Response Committee composed of two parts:

(1) a statewide committee composed of the following state agencies: South Carolina Emergency Management Division of the Office of the Adjutant General, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Department of Agriculture, South Carolina Forestry Commission, and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources;

(2) a local committee within each drought management area. The local committees shall consist of the following members to be appointed by the Governor to represent the following interests: counties, municipalities, public service districts, private water suppliers, agriculture, industry, domestic users, regional councils of government, commissions of public works, power generation facilities, special purpose districts and Soil and Water Conservation Districts; however, there may not be more than two members on a local committee from each county within the drought management area. The Governor may appoint additional members as necessary to ensure broadbased input on the committee and may make interim appointments when the General Assembly is not in session. The statewide committee shall coordinate planning and response only upon consultation with the appropriate local committee in the impacted drought management area during moderate, severe, and extreme drought declarations. The Governor shall appoint the chair of the Drought Response Committee. The department shall provide administrative support.

(B) The Drought Response Committee shall convene as necessary upon call by the chair. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Drought Response Committee shall consult with and invite participation by notifying representatives of municipalities, counties, public and private water suppliers, public service districts, power generation facilities, industries, special purpose districts, private citizens, and commissions of public works in affected drought management areas and by providing notice to the media in each drought management area of the date, time, and location of the Drought Response Committee meetings and subsequent notice of actions taken by the committee.

(C) The department may consult and cooperate with federal agencies and agencies of the states of Georgia and North Carolina in carrying out its responsibilities under this chapter.

HISTORY: 1985 Act No. 63, Section 3; 1993 Act No. 181, Section 1250; 2000 Act No. 366, Section 3; 2002 Act No. 190, Section 9; 2008 Act No. 273, Section 10, eff June 4, 2008.

Effect of Amendment

The 2008 amendment, in paragraph (A)(2), in the second sentence deleted "with the advice and consent of the Senate" following "Governor".