ENROLLED
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 30
BY REPRESENTATIVE MAGEE
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request that the Louisiana Division of Administration, office of community
development, immediately disburse federal funds for project applications in round
one of the Watershed Projects Grant Program to aid in Louisiana's economic
recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHEREAS, following the 2016 floods, several state agencies worked to develop the
Louisiana Watershed Initiative to study and implement policy changes and construct
infrastructure projects that will protect against future flood related devastation; and
WHEREAS, in April 2018, Governor Edwards announced the federal government's
allocation of $1.21 billion in Community Development Block Grant funding for mitigation
for the Louisiana Watershed Initiative; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Watershed Initiative provides for three local and regional
funding rounds totaling over $570 million within its Watershed Projects Grant Program; and
WHEREAS, the office of community development accepted applications in 2019 for
round one totaling $100 million; and
WHEREAS, the applications submitted to the office of community development in
2019 are for infrastructure projects that will help improve Louisiana's resiliency against
major rain events which are certain to continue; and
WHEREAS, the preconstruction and construction phases of infrastructure projects
are a time-tested, proven way to sustain and grow the state's economy; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana is currently facing an unprecedented economic crisis due to
the COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted in skyrocketing unemployment; and
WHEREAS, government agencies and businesses throughout the state are facing
tremendous financial deficits that can only be resolved by putting the people of Louisiana
back to work; and
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WHEREAS, Louisiana's most prominent industries, such as tourism and oil and gas,
have been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic and face a very uncertain future; and
WHEREAS, the office of community development has $100 million in round one
available to immediately begin putting Louisiana citizens to work on infrastructure projects
that improve the resilience of the state; and
WHEREAS, government agencies have the ability to act expeditiously in crisis and,
to the extent any state law exists that serves as an impediment to immediate disbursement
by the office of community development for projects in round one, the House of
Representatives is committed to revising such laws as necessary.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request that the Louisiana Division of
Administration, office of community development, immediately disburse federal funds for
project applications in round one of the Watershed Projects Grant Program to aid in
Louisiana's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Louisiana House of Representatives urges
and requests the office of community development to identify any provisions of state law
that may serve as an impediment to the immediate disbursement of round one funding and
notify the Louisiana House of Representatives of such impeding provisions of law within
seven days of the passage of this resolution.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted
to the Louisiana Division of Administration, office of community development.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
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