Executive Order Number 03-17

Executive Order Number 03-17 (PDF, 91 KB)

 

EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING A TERRORISM TASK FORCE

WHEREAS, the threat of terrorist attacks in the United States is real, as witnessed by the events of September 11, 2001; and

WHEREAS, the centralized coordination and communication among various entities at the State, regional and local levels is essential for the prevention of terrorism; and

WHEREAS, domestic preparedness to respond to terrorist attacks is a priority of the highest magnitude for federal, state and local governments; and

WHEREAS, the Illinois Terrorism Task Force has established a working partnership among public and private stakeholders from all disciplines and regions of the State, to facilitate the coordination of resources and the communication of information essential to combat terrorist threats; and

WHEREAS, the Illinois Terrorism Task Force has proven to be an effective entity in developing and implementing the domestic preparedness strategy of the State of Illinois.

THEREFORE, I hereby order the following:

Executive Order 2000-10 is hereby revoked, and the Illinois Terrorism Taskforce is hereby established as a permanent body, vested with the powers and duties described herein.

1. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ILLINOIS TERRORISM TASKFORCE
   1. I hereby establish the Illinois Terrorism Taskforce as an advisory body, reporting directly to the Governor and to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Safety.
   2. The current members of the Illinois Terrorism Taskforce are hereby reappointed. Additional members of the Illinois Terrorism Taskforce may be appointed with the nomination of the Chair and the approval of the Governor.
   3. Members of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force shall serve without pay, but may receive travel and lodging reimbursement as permitted by applicable state or federal guidelines.
   4. The Governor shall appoint a Chair to serve as the administrator of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force. The Chair shall report to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Safety on all activities of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force. The Chair shall also serve as a policy advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Safety on matters related to Homeland Security.
2. POWERS & DUTIES OF THE ILLINOIS TERRORISM TASKFORCE
   1. The Illinois Terrorism Task Force, as an advisory body to the Governor and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Safety, shall develop and recommend to the Governor the State’s domestic terrorism preparedness strategy.
   2. The Illinois Terrorism Task Force shall develop policies related to the appropriate training of local, regional and State officials to respond to terrorist incidents involving conventional, chemical, biological and/or nuclear weapons.
   3. The Illinois Terrorism Task Force shall oversee the weapons of mass destruction teams, which the Governor may deploy in the event of a terrorist attack to assist local responders and to coordinate the provision of additional State resources. The Illinois Terrorism Task Force shall develop appropriate protocol, staffing, training and equipment guidelines for the weapons of mass destruction teams.
   4. The Illinois Terrorism Task Force shall seek appropriate input from federal agencies, including but not limited to: the United States Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the United States Department of Homeland Security.
   5. The Illinois Terrorism Task Force shall recommend to the Governor any changes in Illinois state statutes, administrative regulations, or in the Illinois Emergency Operations Plan, that, in its view, may be necessary to accomplish its established objectives.
   6. The Illinois Terrorism Task Force shall advise the Illinois Emergency Management Agency on issues related to the application for and use of all appropriate federal funding that relates to combating terrorism.
   7. The Illinois Terrorism Task Force shall develop further recommendations to combat terrorism in Illinois and shall present such recommendations to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Public Safety.
   8. The Chair of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force shall submit an annual report to the Governor by March 1st of each year. The report shall detail the activities, accomplishments and recommendations of the Task Force in the preceding year.
3. SAVINGS CLAUSE
   

   Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed to contravene any state or federal law.

4. SEVERABILITY
   

   If any provision of this Executive Order or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, this invalidity does not affect any other provision or application of this Executive Order which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application. To achieve this purpose, the provisions of this Executive Order are declared to be severable.

Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor
Issued by Governor: __________, 2003
Filed with Secretary of State: __________, 2003