ENROLLED
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 16
BY REPRESENTATIVES HUGHES AND DUPLESSIS AND SENATORS BARROW,
BOUDREAUX, BOUIE, HARRIS, LUNEAU, AND POPE
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health, Department of Economic
Development, and Louisiana Workforce Commission 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.
WHEREAS, the ongoing global outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel
coronavirus and named "coronavirus disease 2019", abbreviated as "COVID-19", has been
officially recognized as a pandemic since March 11, 2020; and
WHEREAS, COVID-19 has impacted our state, our nation, and the world in
countless unprecedented ways; and
WHEREAS, the number of deaths from COVID-19 in the United States surpassed
five hundred thousand in February of 2021; and
WHEREAS, in March of 2021, the number of Louisianans who lost their lives to
COVID-19 eclipsed ten thousand; and
WHEREAS, many members of the public sector workforce of this state have been
either on the front lines of combating COVID-19 or put at risk of contracting COVID-19
through their jobs; or, in the case of healthcare workers, both; and
WHEREAS, House Bill No. 71 of the 2020 First Extraordinary Session proposed to
establish a death benefit for survivors of certain employees of public healthcare facilities
who died of COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, this legislation gained broad support but was ultimately limited by a
lack of data concerning the impact of COVID-19 on the public sector workforce that was
necessary to determine the cost associated with the bill, which advanced from the House to
the Senate but did not achieve final passage; and
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WHEREAS, it is the sense of the legislature that the healthcare workers of our state,
whether they be public sector or private sector employees, have been called upon to do the
hardest work of all in the COVID-19 pandemic, and that these workers have shown
incredible bravery in doing their jobs; and
WHEREAS, though people who work in healthcare settings and other essential
workers can never be repaid in full for their sacrifices in helping us through these
extraordinary times, the legislature intends to find some means to recognize and honor the
courageous workers who cared for the sick in public healthcare settings during the COVID-
19 pandemic and lost their own lives to that disease.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health, Department of Economic
Development, and Louisiana Workforce Commission to conduct a study of the impact of
COVID-19 on the public sector workforce of this state.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study called for in this Resolution shall focus
particularly, though not exclusively, on the impact of COVID-19 on employees of public
healthcare facilities.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Department of Health, Department
of Economic Development, and Louisiana Workforce Commission may consult with other
departments, boards, agencies, officers, and institutions of the state which may have data or
other information that will add value to the study.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Department of Health, Department
of Economic Development, and Louisiana Workforce Commission shall report findings from
the study called for in this Resolution to the legislature on or before February 1, 2022.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, the secretary of the Department of
Economic Development, and the secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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