The governor has emergency management powers for disaster response, including mutual aid, succession planning, emergency orders, disaster declarations, and coordination with federal and state emergency authorities.
The governor shall have emergency management authority as defined in RSA 21-P:35, V, and pursuant to such authority may exercise emergency management powers including: I. The power to enter into mutual aid agreements with other states relative to emergency management issues. II. The power to provide for emergency lines of succession to such appointive offices in the state government as the governor in his or her discretion deems to be necessary to insure reasonable continuity of state government in the event of a disaster. III. The power to make, amend, suspend, and rescind necessary orders, rules, and regulations to carry out the provisions of this subdivision in the event of a disaster beyond local control; provided that civil liberties shall on no account be suspended, nor shall the United States Constitution or the New Hampshire Constitution be suspended. The governor may declare a disaster in the event of a natural disaster or severe weather event in one or more municipalities. IV. The power to cooperate with the President of the United States and the commanders of the United States armed forces, the Emergency Management Agency of the United States, and other appropriate federal officers and agencies of other states in matters pertaining to the emergency management of the state and nation, including the direction and control of: (a) Drills, mobilization of emergency management forces, and other tests and exercises; (b) Warnings and signals for drills or actual emergencies and the mechanical devices to be used in connection with them; and (c) The evacuation and reception of the civilian population. Source: Source. 2002, 257:4, eff. July 1, 2002. 2022, 11:4, eff. Apr. 4, 2022. 2024, 358:4, eff. Aug. 2, 2024.