§ 49:854 — Emergency interim successors for state officers

All state officers, subject to such regulations as may be issued by the governor or other official authorized under the constitution or other authority to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the office of governor, shall, in addition to any deputy authorized pursuant to law to exercise all of the powers and discharge the duties of the office, designate by title emergency interim successors and specify their order of succession. The officer shall review and revise, as necessary, designations made pursuant to this chapter to insure their current status. The officer will designate a sufficient number of such emergency interim successors so that there will be not less than three nor more than seven such deputies or emergency interim successors or any combination thereof, at any time. In the event that any state officer is unavailable following an attack, and in the event his deputy, if any, is also unavailable, the said powers of his office shall be exercised and said duties of his office shall be discharged by his designated emergency interim successors in the order specified. Such emergency interim successors shall exercise said powers and discharge said duties only until such time as the governor under the constitution or laws or other official authorized under the constitution or laws to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the office of governor may, where a vacancy exists, appoint a successor to fill the vacancy or until a successor is otherwise appointed, or elected and qualified as provided by law, or an officer or his deputy or a preceding named emergency interim successor becomes available to exercise or resume the exercise of the powers and discharge the duties of his office.

Legislative History

Acts 1963, No. 111, §4.