SLS 15RS-136 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 73
BY SENATOR WHITE
GOVERNOR. Requests that the governor issue an executive order directing state agencies
and local governments to continue to support the Louisiana State Use Program, managed by
Employment Development Services.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To urge and request Governor Bobby Jindal to issue an executive order directing state
3 agencies and local governments to continue to support the Louisiana State Use
4 Program, managed by Employment Development Services.
5 WHEREAS, the legislature in 1984 enacted legislation whereby a preference is to
6 be given by all governmental bodies in purchasing products and services from a state
7 supported skill development center that employs persons with severe disabilities; and
8 WHEREAS, the program is referred to as the Louisiana State Use Program and its
9 provisions are applicable to all state and local governments, educational institutions, and
10 other political subdivisions of Louisiana; and
11 WHEREAS, the Louisiana State Use Program is patterned after similar programs
12 utilized by at least twenty other states as well as the federal government with the primary
13 purpose of employing persons with severe disabilities in transitional jobs which give the
14 disabled employees marketable skills, thereby allowing them to be employed in the private
15 sector; and
16 WHEREAS, the Louisiana State Use Program benefits the state of Louisiana in all
17 of the following ways:
18 (1) Jobs are created for those who would not otherwise be employed; the state
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SLS 15RS-136 ORIGINAL
1 conserves resources because these persons have jobs, pay taxes, spend in their community,
2 and receive less or no government support.
3 (2) Some goods presently bought out of state can be purchased through this program,
4 keeping those dollars in Louisiana.
5 (3) The program's workers are loyal and consistent high performers for the jobs they
6 undertake.
7 (4) The mission of the program is to provide services and products to government
8 agencies which exceed specifications at a fair price while also providing job training and
9 jobs for Louisiana workers who suffer from severe disabilities; and
10 WHEREAS, the Council on the Purchase of Products and Services of Severely
11 Disabled Persons has published regulations and procedures to implement the program; and
12 WHEREAS, the products and services are to be purchased on a pre-bid basis thus
13 avoiding the cost of the bid procedure; and
14 WHEREAS, the Council on the Purchase of Products and Services of Severely
15 Disabled Persons has established Employment Development Services, Inc. as the central
16 nonprofit agency to coordinate the program negotiating service and custom product contracts
17 within the state under this program and allocation of those contracts to the various sheltered
18 workshops in the state; and
19 WHEREAS, to accomplish the purposes of the program, Employment Development
20 Services, Inc. enters, as necessary, into contracts with government procuring entities for the
21 furnishing of products or services provided by the sheltered workshops.
22 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
23 does hereby urge and request Governor Bobby Jindal to issue an executive order directing
24 state agencies and local governments to continue to support the Louisiana State Use
25 Program, Employment Development Services.
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SLS 15RS-136 ORIGINAL
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Carla S. Roberts.
DIGEST
SR 73 Original 2015 Regular Session White
Requests Governor Bobby Jindal to issue an executive order directing state agencies and
local governments to continue to support the Louisiana State Use Program, Employment
Development Services.
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