HLS 202ES-140 ORIGINAL
2020 Second Extraordinary Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 16
BY REPRESENTATIVES ECHOLS AND HORTON
LEGISLATIVE POWERS: Suspends the state of emergency declared by Proclamation No.
117 JBE 2020 and Proclamation No. 123 JBE 2020 (Items #1, 2, and 28)
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To suspend the state of emergency as declared by Proclamation No. 117 JBE 2020 and
3 Proclamation No. 123 JBE 2020 until the end of the 2020 Second Extraordinary
4 Session of the Legislature.
5 WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization designated the
6Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak as a worldwide pandemic; and
7 WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, Governor John Bel Edwards issued Proclamation
8Number 25 JBE 2020 to declare a statewide public health emergency due to the imminent
9threat posed to Louisiana by COVID-19; and
10 WHEREAS, a declaration of public health emergency was necessary for state
11agencies to thoroughly prepare for any eventuality related to public health and deploy
12additional resources to assist local authorities and healthcare systems; and
13 WHEREAS, various experts had reason to believe that COVID-19 may be spread
14among the population by various means of exposure, therefore posing a possibility of
15widespread exposure and harm; and
16 WHEREAS, the extraordinary threat posed by COVID-19 initially caused critical
17shortages of healthcare equipment, personal protective equipment, and shortages in hospital
18beds throughout the state; and
19 WHEREAS, initial testing for the COVID-19 virus was limited, and limited research
20was available to help understand the impacts of the COVID-19 virus and its possible effects
21on the citizens of Louisiana; and
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HCR NO. 16
1 WHEREAS, the governor's proactive measures at the onset of the COVID-19 virus
2were reasonable to protect the health and safety of the people of Louisiana; and
3 WHEREAS, in over six months following the governor declaring a public health
4emergency, the medical supply chain has recovered and is capable of meeting demands for
5COVID-19-related equipment and supplies; and
6 WHEREAS, the purpose of the phased reopening plan was to control the rate of
7spread of the COVID-19 virus, as to prevent our healthcare system from being
8overwhelmed; and
9 WHEREAS, after six months of state-directed effort, the emergency systems and
10procedures that have been put in place, along with a sustainable medical supply chain and
11an informed public, have overcome what was initially an imminent threat to our citizens and
12healthcare system; and
13 WHEREAS, hundreds of thousands Louisiana citizens have lost their jobs, thousands
14of businesses have permanently closed, and many more are at risk in the coming months; and
15 WHEREAS, students in Louisiana are being greatly hindered in academic and
16extracurricular pursuits critical to their personal growth and development, significantly
17impacting the future opportunity of our children and our state; and
18 WHEREAS, the governor has not, throughout the extended duration of this
19unprecedented crisis, consulted with or sought the approval of the Louisiana Legislature, the
20representatives of the citizens of Louisiana, regarding the state's response to COVID-19.
21 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
22Legislature of Louisiana does hereby suspend until the end of the 2020 Second
23Extraordinary Session of the Legislature the state of emergency as declared by Proclamation
24No. 117 JBE 2020 and Proclamation No. 123 JBE 2020.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this termination shall become effective upon
26adoption of this Resolution.
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HCR NO. 16
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 16 Original 2020 Second Extraordinary Session Echols
Suspends the state of emergency as declared by Proclamation No. 117 JBE 2020 and
Proclamation No. 123 JBE 2020 until the end of the 2020 Second Extraordinary Session of
the Legislature.
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