HLS 21RS-410 ENGROSSED
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 16
BY REPRESENTATIVES HUGHES AND DUPLESSIS
HEALTH/LDH: Requests a study by the La. Department of Health concerning the impact
of COVID-19 on the public sector workforce of this state
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health to study the impact of COVID-19
3 on the public sector workforce of this state and to report findings of the study to the
4 legislature.
5 WHEREAS, the ongoing global outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel
6coronavirus and named "coronavirus disease 2019", abbreviated as "COVID-19", has been
7officially recognized as a pandemic since March 11, 2020; and
8 WHEREAS, COVID-19 has impacted our state, our nation, and the world in
9countless unprecedented ways; and
10 WHEREAS, the number of deaths from COVID-19 in the United States surpassed
11five hundred thousand in February of 2021; and
12 WHEREAS, in March of 2021, the number of Louisianans who lost their lives to
13COVID-19 eclipsed ten thousand; and
14 WHEREAS, many members of the public sector workforce of this state have been
15either on the front lines of combating COVID-19 or put at risk of contracting COVID-19
16through their jobs; or, in the case of healthcare workers, both; and
17 WHEREAS, House Bill No. 71 of the 2020 First Extraordinary Session proposed to
18establish a death benefit for survivors of certain employees of public healthcare facilities
19who died of COVID-19; and
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HCR NO. 16
1 WHEREAS, this legislation gained broad support but was ultimately limited by a
2lack of data concerning the impact of COVID-19 on the public sector workforce that was
3necessary to determine the cost associated with the bill, which advanced from the House to
4the Senate but did not achieve final passage; and
5 WHEREAS, it is the sense of the legislature that the healthcare workers of our state,
6whether they be public sector or private sector employees, have been called upon to do the
7hardest work of all in the COVID-19 pandemic, and that these workers have shown
8incredible bravery in doing their jobs; and
9 WHEREAS, though people who work in healthcare settings and other essential
10workers can never be repaid in full for their sacrifices in helping us through these
11extraordinary times, the legislature intends to find some means to recognize and honor the
12courageous workers who cared for the sick in public healthcare settings during the COVID-
1319 pandemic and lost their own lives to that disease.
14 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
15urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health to conduct a study of the impact of
16COVID-19 on the public sector workforce of this state.
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study called for in this Resolution shall focus
18particularly, though not exclusively, on the impact of COVID-19 on employees of public
19healthcare facilities.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Department of Health shall report
21findings from the study called for in this Resolution to the legislature on or before February
221, 2022.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
24secretary 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 16 Engrossed 2021 Regular Session Hughes
Requests the La. Department of Health to study the impact of COVID-19 on the public
sector workforce of this state and to report findings of the study to the legislature on or
before Feb. 1, 2022.
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