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)]
HB 1070 Reengrossed 2022 Regular Session Schexnayder
Abstract: Provides relative to the operational procedures of the Governor's Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness.
Present law provides for the authorities and responsibilities of the Governor's Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP).
Present law requires state and local emergency operation plans that may include certain information.
Proposed law retains present law regarding the information included in the plans but makes the
inclusion of the information mandatory.
Proposed law retains present law and adds that GOHSEP shall do the following by Aug. 1, 2022:
(1)Ensure the official state emergency management software system is accessible to certain
entities and has specific capabilities regarding requests.
(2)Develop an online emergency management training program to be completed annually by
local officials and employees identified by each parish president.
(3)Coordinate with the office of state procurement, Dept. of Agriculture and Forestry, Dept. of
Transportation and Development, and Dept. of Military Affairs to prepare a procurement
assessment report and submit the report to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget
(JLCB) and the House and Senate select committees on homeland security.
(4)Develop a program to provide temporary housing and shelter assistance to parish governing
authorities during the first 14 days following a disaster.
Proposed law provides requirements for GOHSEP to implement the program and for local
governments to participate in the program. Eligibility for participation includes waiving certain land
use regulations.
Proposed law requires the regional coordinator for each homeland security and emergency
preparedness region to administer the emergency management training to local officials and
employees annually either in-person or virtually.
Proposed law requires GOHSEP to submit an annual report to JLCB and the House and Senate select committees on homeland security regarding contracts and the temporary housing and shelter
assistance program.
Present law requires GOHSEP to study the feasibility of pre-bidding certain contracts for disaster
response services.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Present law provides that the office of interoperability shall be headed by an assistant deputy director
of interoperability.
Proposed law relocates present law under the present law provision which provides relative to
powers of a director.
Proposed law requires the assistant deputy director of interoperability to work with the
interoperability subcommittee of the Unified Command Group to develop a plan for alternatives to
the La. Wireless Information Network and submit the plan to JLCB for approval by March 1, 2023.
Proposed law creates the Emergency Communications Interoperability Fund to provide funding for
the interoperability plan approved by JLCB.
Present law requires each parish office of homeland security and emergency preparedness to have
a director appointed by the parish president and provides for responsibilities of the director.
Proposed law requires each parish president to designate any parish, municipal, or special district
employees the parish president deems necessary to be dedicated on a full-time basis to emergency
preparedness and disaster response in the parish.
Proposed law further requires the director to ensure that the employees so designated and any local
officials deemed necessary by the parish president have received the annual emergency management
training provided by GOHSEP.
Present law provides for a disaster and emergency funding board.
Proposed law repeals present law.
(Amends R.S. 29:725(A) and (F), 725.5, 726(B)(intro. para.) and (F) and 729(B)(intro. para.) and
(12); Adds R.S. 29:725(K), 726(G), and 728(G); Repeals R.S. 29:726(E)(25) and 731)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:
1. Require the regional coordinator for each homeland security and emergency preparedness
region to administer the emergency management training to local officials and employees annually either in-person or virtually.
2. Require the assistant deputy director of interoperability to work with the Unified
Command Group's interoperability subcommittee to develop a plan for alternatives to the
La. Wireless Information Network and submit the plan to JLCB for approval by March
1, 2023.
3. Create the Emergency Communications Interoperability Fund to provide funding for the
plan approved by JLCB.
4. Require that local officials have access to the state emergency management software
system for the purpose of viewing the status of requests.
5. Require the software system to send automatic notifications to requesting parishes when
the status of a request changes.
6. Add criteria for the emergency management training program.
7. Clarify that the temporary housing waiver applies to housing directly adjacent to the
survivor's damaged dwelling.
8. Change the party responsible for designating local employees to respond to a disaster or
emergency from the parish director of the office of homeland security and emergency
preparedness to the parish president.
9. Provide that the components included in the state and local emergency operations plans
are mandatory instead of optional.
10.Make technical changes.