HLS 20RS-1579 ENGROSSED 2020 Regular Session HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 74 BY REPRESENTATIVE SCHEXNAYDER HEALTH: Requests that CARES Act funding be made available to the state for testing and be distributed to healthcare systems 1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION 2To urge and request the state of Louisiana through the Louisiana Department of Health, or 3 any other state agency as may be deemed appropriate, to provide funding from the 4 CARES Act, P.L.116-136, or any additional federal funding to Louisiana private 5 healthcare systems for COVID-19 testing and to report the proposed distribution to 6 the legislature by June 1, 2020. 7 WHEREAS, the United States Congress and the president of the United States are 8providing support to healthcare providers fighting the COVID-19 pandemic through 9CARES Act funding and the various programs the act created; and 10 WHEREAS, such funding will be used to support healthcare-related expenses or lost 11revenue in healthcare systems attributable to COVID-19; and 12 WHEREAS, recognizing the particular impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had 13on healthcare systems in Louisiana, the legislature is extremely concerned about the 14economic harm resulting from this impact; and 15 WHEREAS, increased access to COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 antibody testing 16is vital to protect the public health and safety of the Louisiana people; and 17 WHEREAS, funding provided through the CARES Act is intended to help health 18systems across America continue to battle COVID-19 and expand capacity for the vital 19functions of testing, contact tracing, and containment. 20 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 21urge and request the state of Louisiana through the Louisiana Department of Health, or any Page 1 of 2 HLS 20RS-1579 ENGROSSED HCR NO. 74 1other state agency as may be deemed appropriate, to use funding provided to Louisiana by 2the CARES Act, P.L. 116-136, including but not limited to a portion of the approximately 3one billion eight hundred million dollars received through the Coronavirus Relief Fund, or 4any additional federal funding to support Louisiana's private sector healthcare systems as 5they seek to establish a robust COVID-19 testing infrastructure. 6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that on or before June 1, 2020, the Louisiana 7Department of Health, shall report the proposed distribution of funding called for in this 8Resolution to the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Finance, 9the House Committee on Health and Welfare, the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, 10and the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library. 11 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the 12governor and the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health. 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 74 Engrossed 2020 Regular Session Schexnayder Requests the La. Dept. of Health, or other appropriate agency as deemed necessary, to provide funding from the CARES Act or any additional federal funding to La. private healthcare systems for COVID-19 testing and report the data on the proposed distribution of funding to the legislature. Summary of Amendments Adopted by House The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Appropriations to the original bill: 1. Expand requested funding to include any additional federal funding. 2. Change the request from expediting the distribution of funding to La. healthcare systems to providing funding to La. private healthcare systems for COVID-19 testing. 3. Remove language terminating legislative authority for the request. 4. Make technical changes. Page 2 of 2