(a) There is established a Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Said department shall be the designated emergency management and homeland security agency for the state. The department head shall be the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, who shall be appointed by the Governor in accordance with sections 4-5 to 4-8, inclusive, with the powers and duties prescribed in said sections. The commissioner shall be responsible for providing a coordinated, integrated program for the protection of life and property and for state-wide emergency management and homeland security. The commissioner shall appoint not more than two deputy commissioners who shall, under the direction of the commissioner, assist in the administration of the department. The commissioner may do all things necessary to apply for, qualify for and accept any federal funds made available or allotted under any federal act for emergency management or homeland security.

(b) The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall constitute a successor agency to the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-38d, 4-38e and 4-39.

(c) The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall constitute a successor agency to the Department of Public Safety, except as to chapters 531, 532 and 538 to 541a, inclusive, in accordance with the provisions of sections 4-38d, 4-38e and 4-39.

(d) Any order or regulation of the Department of Public Safety, which is in force on July 1, 2011, except those orders or regulations pertaining to chapters 531, 532 and 538 to 541a, inclusive, shall continue in force and effect as an order or regulation of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection until amended, repealed or superseded pursuant to law. Where any order or regulation of said departments or the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security conflict, the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection may implement policies and procedures consistent with the provisions of this section and sections 3-122, 3-123, 3-123e, 4-5 and 4-38c, subsections (k) and (l) of section 4a-100 and sections 4b-136, 5-182, 7-294b, 7-294d, 7-294e, 7-294p, 7-323k, 7-323l, 7-323p, 7-521, 10a-55a, 14-283a, 16a-13b, 16a-106, 19a-487, 21a-274a, 22a-601, 28-1, 28-1a, 28-1i, 28-24, 28-29a, 29-1b, 29-1p, 29-4, 29-5, 29-36l, 29-179i, 51-291, 51-293, 51-296, 53-202d, 54-1m, 54-64g and 54-142q while in the process of adopting the policy or procedure in regulation form, provided notice of intention to adopt regulations is printed in the Connecticut Law Journal within twenty days of implementation. The policy or procedure shall be valid until the time final regulations are effective.

(P.A. 11-51, S. 133; P.A. 13-299, S. 21.)

History: P.A. 11-51 effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-299 amended Subsec. (d) to delete reference to Sec. 4d-90, effective July 1, 2013.

See Sec. 14-315 re street and highway safety and accident prevention.