WHEREAS, there is extreme peril to public safety, health, and the environment beyond the control and capability of law enforcement, emergency, and health services in Louisiana and Mississippi;

       WHEREAS, the State of Idaho accepts and welcomes the opportunity to take part in efforts to assist our fellow Americans who have been displaced due to Hurricane Katrina—a natural disaster;

      WHEREAS, the State of Idaho understands that the evacuee experience is a major upheaval in the lives of those affected by this catastrophe; and

      WHEREAS, the State of Idaho recognizes the opportunity to provide relief and hope to those evacuees who have been displaced by this disaster;

      NOW, THEREFORE, I, DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Governor of the State of Idaho, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the State of Idaho do hereby order the immediate development of the Governor's Task Force on Evacuee Resettlement.

The purpose of the Task Force shall be to assess the needs of evacuees, evaluate and prepare for their possible integration into the State of Idaho.

The Task Force's responsibilities are to address:

1. The possible relocation of evacuees within Idaho as determined. This shall be a planned endeavor that seeks to identify favorable placement in communities. Such placement should provide the necessary conditions to meet the primary goal of evacuee resettlement, which is self-sufficiency.
2. To ensure the most suitable community placement, the Task Force shall be authorized to coordinate with the following entities and agencies: voluntary agencies ("VOLAGs"); local officials; state agencies; faith based organizations; and charities.
3. The purpose of the above consultations shall be to determine the availability of food, clothing, shelter, education, employment opportunities, health care, and other needed services and the proximity of supportive institutions and organizations.
4. Upon placement of evacuees in the community, the Task Force shall coordinate the following transitional services for evacuees, in order to assist them during the period they are being prepared for and are actively seeking employment: medical and other assistance, health assessment and follow-up services, emergency services, information and referral, case management, and employment preparation.
5. The above transitional services shall be provided with a view to maximizing their accessibility and cultural appropriateness. The characteristics and concerns of the evacuee communities should be taken into account in the shaping of specific service delivery procedures and mechanisms and the determination of their cultural sensitivity.

The members of the Task Force shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Governor shall appoint the chair of the Task Force.

The Governor’s office shall be the lead agency and the Department of Commerce and Labor shall provide support for the Task Force and shall maintain office staff to carry out the activities directed by the Task Force, as funding is available.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the State of Idaho at the Capitol in Boise on this 3rd day of September in the year of our Lord two thousand and five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred thirtieth and of the Statehood of Idaho the one hundred sixteenth.

BEN YSURSA
SECRETARY OF STATE