ENROLLED
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 79
BY REPRESENTATIVE BISHOP
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request that changes to the eligibility requirements for participation in the
Enterprise Zone incentive to extend eligibility to restaurants and hotels be included
in any proclamation convening an extraordinary session of the legislature in 2020.
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, Governor John Bel Edwards invoked his authority
under the Louisiana Health Emergency Powers Act, R.S. 29:760 et seq., to issue Emergency
Proclamation Number 25 JBE 2020, which declared a statewide public health emergency as
a result of the imminent threat posed to Louisiana citizens by the outbreak of a respiratory
disease caused by the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, on March 13, 2020, the governor issued Emergency Proclamation
Number 27 JBE 2020, which supplemented the measures taken in Emergency Proclamation
Number 25 JBE 2020 with additional restrictions to further protect the health and safety of
the public and expressly provided for "'emergency-related claims'. . . for unemployment
compensation filed by persons whose unemployment is directly due to the impact of
COVID-19 or due to their inability to get to their job or worksite because they are sick,
isolated or quarantined, caring for a sick family member, or when an employee's child's
school is closed as determined by the administrator of the state's unemployment
compensation program"; and
WHEREAS, on March 22, 2020, the governor issued Emergency Proclamation
Number 33 JBE 2020 which implemented a general stay-at-home order to the public and
additional measures including the temporary closure of certain businesses, further limiting
the operations of certain non-essential businesses to the public in an effort to mitigate the
impact of COVID-19 and to disrupt the spread of the virus; and
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WHEREAS, these businesses have experienced serious hardship and financial
disruption due to COVID-19 impacts on their operations and workforces; and
WHEREAS, the ability of these businesses to expeditiously return to their previous
levels of operation is critical to Louisiana's economy, as well as state and local government
revenues; and
WHEREAS, the Enterprise Zone incentive is designed to encourage and promote
private sector investment and local economic development efforts in depressed areas of the
state by establishing tax rebates and tax credits for businesses that are located in areas that
meet enterprise zone criteria including high unemployment rates, lower per capita income,
and a resident population that receives public assistance; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, state law was amended to limit eligibility for certain retail
businesses to participate in these incentives to grocery stores and pharmacies that have more
than one hundred employees nationwide; and
WHEREAS, the legislature should consider legislation, during any extraordinary
session that may be called in 2020, to amend the eligibility criteria for participation in the
Enterprise Zone incentive to include restaurants and hotels which have suffered great
economic losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request that changes to the eligibility requirements for participation in the
Enterprise Zone incentive to extend eligibility to restaurants and hotels be included in any
proclamation convening an extraordinary session of the legislature in 2020.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
governor of the state of Louisiana, the speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
president of the Senate.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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