SLS 182ES-163 ORIGINAL
2018 Second Extraordinary Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 23
BY SENATOR BARROW
SENATE. Creates the Task Force on Prevention of Human Degradation and Exploitation
of Vulnerable Individuals in Community-Based Residential Settings.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To create the Task Force on Prevention of Human Degradation and Exploitation of
3 Vulnerable Individuals in Community-Based Residential Settings.
4 WHEREAS, safe and secure housing is a basic necessary element for survival that
5 should be afforded to vulnerable individuals without threat of degradation, exploitation, or
6 abuse at the hands of property or land owners; and
7 WHEREAS, many vulnerable adults in need of housing are recipients of government
8 funded assistance, such as social security payments, supplemental nutrition assistance
9 program (SNAP) food stamps, or other federal or state stipends or subsidies; and
10 WHEREAS, while there are many genuinely good and caring property or land
11 owners, the vulnerability of certain populations and access to their government benefits has
12 created an opportunity for certain unsavory individuals to manipulate, scam, exploit, or
13 stockpile individuals in unclean, unsafe, overcrowded, and unhealthy community-based
14 residential settings; and
15 WHEREAS, it is imperative that the government agencies and associations entrusted
16 with ensuring the health and welfare of the public come together to develop a strategy for
17 regulating this situation so as to protect those most vulnerable and penalize those who are
18 exploiting them.
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SLS 182ES-163 ORIGINAL
1 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
2 does hereby create the Task Force on Prevention of Human Degradation and Exploitation
3 of Vulnerable Individuals in Community-Based Residential Settings.
4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be comprised of the
5 following fourteen members:
6 (1) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, or his designee, who shall
7 call the first meeting of the task force on or before October 1, 2018, and shall ensure that the
8 task force fulfills its charge and submits the report required by this Resolution.
9 (2) The state health officer, or his designee.
10 (3) The director of the health standards section within the Louisiana Department of
11 Health, or his designee.
12 (4) The director of the adult protective services section within the Louisiana
13 Department of Health, or his designee.
14 (5) The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services, or his
15 designee.
16 (6) The attorney general, or his designee.
17 (7) The state fire marshal, or his designee.
18 (8) The executive director or the Louisiana Municipal Association, or his designee.
19 (9) The executive director of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, or his
20 designee.
21 (10) The executive director of the Advocacy Center of Louisiana, or his designee.
22 (11) The executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, or his designee.
23 (12) The executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, or his
24 designee.
25 (13) One person appointed by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and
26 Welfare.
27 (14) One person appointed by the chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary C.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall meet as often as is necessary
29 to research, discuss, compile, and submit a report containing findings and recommendations
30 to the Louisiana Senate on or before February 1, 2019.
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SLS 182ES-163 ORIGINAL
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in executing its charge, the task force shall
2 consider and recommend to the Senate the following:
3 (1) All present federal and state laws, rules, and regulations, as well as local
4 ordinances in existence, to protect vulnerable individuals from degradation and exploitation
5 by certain property or land owners.
6 (2) Any state laws, rules, and regulations or local ordinances proposed as necessary
7 to protect vulnerable individuals from degradation and exploitation by certain property or
8 land owners.
9 (3) Any proposals for regulation of community-based residential settings in which
10 non-related individuals reside in a single dwelling and the rent or fees paid to the property
11 or land owner are derived from government funded assistance, such as social security
12 payments, supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) food stamps, or other federal
13 or state stipends or subsidies.
14 (4) Any civil or criminal penalties to be assessed against a property or land owner
15 who manipulates, scams, exploits, or stockpiles individuals in unclean, unsafe, overcrowded,
16 and unhealthy community-based residential settings.
17 (5) Any transition or relocation plan for vulnerable individuals who reside in a
18 community-based setting that is deemed unclean, unsafe, overcrowded, and unhealthy.
19 (6) Any other recommendation deemed important by the task force to address this
20 matter.
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall serve without compensation,
22 except per diem or expense reimbursement to which they may be individually entitled as
23 members of their respective organization.
24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall terminate on July 1, 2019.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
26 secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, the state health officer, the director of the
27 health standards section within the Louisiana Department of Health, the director of the adult
28 protective services section within the Louisiana Department of Health, the secretary of the
29 Department of Children and Family Services, the attorney general, the state fire marshal, the
30 executive director or the Louisiana Municipal Association, the executive director of the
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SLS 182ES-163 ORIGINAL
1 Police Jury Association of Louisiana, the executive director of the Advocacy Center of
2 Louisiana, the executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, the executive
3 director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association, the chairman of the Senate
4 Committee on Health and Welfare, and the chairman of the Senate Committee on
5 Judiciary C.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Christine Arbo Peck.
DIGEST
SR 23 Original 2018 Second Extraordinary Session Barrow
Creates the Task Force on Prevention of Human Degradation and Exploitation of Vulnerable
Individuals in Community-Based Residential Settings and requests a report of findings and
recommendations on or before February 1, 2019.
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