HLS 22RS-74 REENGROSSED
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 606
BY REPRESENTATIVE GEYMANN
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES: Creates a legislative oversight committee to oversee and
set priorities for the expenditure of federal monies received by the state for
emergencies and disaster recovery
1 AN ACT
2To enact Part V of Chapter 2 of Title 24 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be
3 comprised of R.S. 24:141, relative to legislative oversight; to create the Joint
4 Recovery Oversight Committee; to provide for its membership, powers, duties, and
5 functions; to require reports by the commissioner of administration and the director
6 of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to the
7 joint committee; to provide for related functions and duties of the Joint Legislative
8 Committee on the Budget; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for related
9 matters.
10Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. Part V of Chapter 2 of Title 24 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,
12comprised of R.S. 24:141, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
13 PART V. JOINT RECOVERY OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
14 ยง141. Joint Recovery Oversight Committee; membership; powers, functions, duties
15 A.(1) The Joint Recovery Oversight Committee, referred to in this Part as
16 the "joint committee", is hereby created and shall consist of the following members
17 of the House of Representatives and of the Senate:
18 (a) Eight members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker
19 of the House of Representatives in a manner to reflect the makeup of the membership
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HB NO. 606
1 of the House of Representatives, including party affiliation, race, sex, and geography,
2 to the extent practicable.
3 (b) Eight members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate in
4 a manner to reflect the makeup of the membership of the Senate, including party
5 affiliation, race, sex, and geography, to the extent practicable.
6 (2) The positions of chairman and vice chairman of the joint committee shall
7 rotate in even-numbered years between the members of the House of Representatives
8 and the members of the Senate who serve on the committee as provided in this
9 Paragraph. On the second Monday in January of each even-number year, the speaker
10 of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House of
11 Representatives on the joint committee who shall serve as chairman or vice chairman
12 of the joint committee, as applicable, and the president of the Senate shall designate
13 the member of the Senate on the joint committee who shall serve as chairman or vice
14 chairman of the joint committee, as applicable.
15 B.(1) The joint committee shall monitor, review, and make recommendations
16 relative to all aspects of the expenditure of any federal monies received by the state
17 to assist in the recovery from any declared disaster or emergency in the manner
18 provided in this Section.
19 (2) The joint committee shall:
20 (a) Establish short-term priorities for recovery.
21 (b) Develop long-term plans and priorities for recovery and redevelopment.
22 (c) Recommend priorities and guidelines for funding that is provided or
23 otherwise made available to the state for recovery and redevelopment efforts and
24 infrastructure, including but not limited to:
25 (i) Economic and workforce development.
26 (ii) Education.
27 (iii) Healthcare.
28 (iv) Housing.
29 (v) Infrastructure and transportation.
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1 (vi) Fiscal stability.
2 C. Each quarter, the joint committee shall submit a written comprehensive
3 report to each member of the legislature, the governor, the Governor's Office of
4 Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the division of administration, and
5 the public regarding its activities, priorities, and other recommendations.
6 D.(1) To the fullest extent possible, all expenditures of federal monies
7 received by the state to assist in the recovery from any declared disaster or
8 emergency shall be made in accordance with the priorities for recovery established
9 by the joint committee.
10 (2) Each quarter in the manner determined by the joint committee, the
11 commissioner of the division of administration and the director of the Governor's
12 Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness shall provide the joint
13 committee with a recapitulation of all expenditures of federal monies received by the
14 state to assist in the recovery from any declared disaster or emergency for the
15 preceding three-month period.
16 (3) If the joint committee finds that the monies have not been expended in
17 accordance with the priorities established by the joint committee, the joint committee
18 shall immediately notify the governor, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security
19 and Emergency Preparedness, the division of administration, and the Joint
20 Legislative Committee on the Budget.
21 (4) If the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget receives a notification
22 pursuant to Paragraph (3) of this Subsection, the Joint Legislative Committee on the
23 Budget shall meet to consider the information and shall consider the appropriate
24 action to take against the expending agency, which may include the withdrawal of
25 any approval to expend further funds, the limitation of the ability to expend further
26 funds, a limitation on the ability to transfer funds, or other appropriate sanction.
27 E. The joint committee may call upon the staffs of any department, agency,
28 or official of the state for data and assistance, and all departments, agencies, and
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1 officials shall cooperate with the joint committee. The joint committee may request
2 and utilize the assistance of any and all private sources.
3 F. The joint committee shall have the power and authority to hold hearings,
4 compel the attendance and testimony of witnesses, require the production of books
5 and records, and do all other things necessary to discharge its duties.
6 G. The staff of the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate
7 Committee on Finance, the legislative fiscal office, the legislative auditor, and any
8 other staff designated by the presiding officers shall provide staff support to the joint
9 committee.
10 H. Notwithstanding any provision of this Section to the contrary, the joint
11 committee shall not impair or interfere with an election being conducted pursuant to
12 R.S. 18:401.3 and the Department of State shall not be required to report thereon for
13 the purposes of this Section until at least ten days after the date of the general
14 election being conducted pursuant to R.S. 18:401.3.
15 Section 2.(A) The speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the
16Senate shall appoint the members of the joint committee established by this Act no later
17than thirty days after the effective date of this Act.
18 (B) A member of the joint committee designated by the speaker of the House of
19Representatives shall serve as the first chairman of the joint committee and a member of the
20joint committee designated by the president of the Senate shall serve as the first vice
21chairman of the joint committee. Thereafter, the positions of chairman and vice chairman
22shall rotate at the time and in the manner provided by Section 1 of this Act. The chairman
23shall call the first meeting of the joint committee not later than ten days after all of the
24members are appointed.
25 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
26signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
27by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
28vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
29effective on the day following such approval.
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HB NO. 606
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 606 Reengrossed 2022 Regular Session Geymann
Abstract: Establishes the Joint Recovery Oversight Committee to set priorities for and
oversee the expenditure of federal monies received by the state for disaster and
emergency recovery.
Proposed law provides for the Joint Recovery Oversight Committee, (joint committee) as
follows:
(1)Consists of 16 members, eight members of the House appointed by the speaker and
eight members of the Senate appointed by the president, all appointed to reflect the
makeup of the membership of the respective house of the legislature, including party
affiliation, race, sex, and geography, to the extent practicable.
(2)Provides the speaker and the president appoint a chairman and a vice chairman from
among the members of the joint committee and that those appointments rotate in
even-numbered years.
Proposed law provides that powers, functions, and duties of the joint committee include to:
(1)Monitor, review, and make recommendations relative to all aspects of the
expenditure of any federal monies received by the state to assist in the recovery from
any declared disaster or emergency.
(2)Establish short-term priorities for recovery, develop long-term plans, and priorities
for recovery and redevelopment, and recommend priorities and guidelines for
funding made available to the state for recovery and redevelopment efforts and
infrastructure.
(3)Submit a comprehensive report to the legislature, the governor, Governor's Office
of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), the division of
administration, and the public each quarter.
Proposed law requires that, to the fullest extent possible, all expenditures of federal monies
received by the state to assist in the recovery from any declared disaster or emergency shall
be made in accordance with the priorities for recovery established by the joint committee.
Requires, each quarter, the commissioner of administration and the director of the GOHSEP
to provide the joint committee with a recapitulation of all expenditures of federal monies
received by the state to assist in the recovery from any declared disaster or emergency for
the preceding three-month period. Requires the joint committee to notify the governor,
GOHSEP, the division of administration, and the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget
(JLCB) if it finds that monies have not been expended in accordance with its priorities.
Requires JLCB to meet and consider the appropriate action to take against the expending
agency, which may include the withdrawal of any approval to expend further funds, the
limitation of the ability to expend further funds, a limitation on the ability to transfer funds,
or other appropriate sanction.
Proposed law provides for legislative staffing of the joint committee and provides that the
joint committee may call upon the staffs of any department, agency, or official of the state
for data and assistance, and all departments, agencies, and officials shall cooperate with the
joint committee. The joint committee may request and utilize the assistance of any and all
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private sources. Specifies that it has the power and authority to hold hearings, compel the
attendance and testimony of witnesses, require the production of books and records, and do
all other things necessary to discharge its duties.
Proposed law provides for the appointment of members no later than 30 days after effective
date of proposed law and provides for the calling of the first meeting no later than 10 days
after the members are appointed.
Proposed law prohibits the joint committee from impairing or interfering with an election
being conducted pursuant to present law regarding emergency election plans. Provides that
the Dept. of State shall not be required to report thereon for the purposes of proposed law
until at least 10 days after the date of the general election.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 24:141)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on House and
Governmental Affairs to the original bill:
1. Provide for appointment, rather than election, of the chairman and the vice
chairman of the joint committee.
2. Add exemption from proposed law for emergency elections.
The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:
1. Specify that the chairman and the vice chairman are selected from members of
the joint committee.
2. Add prohibition of impairing or interfering with an election being conducted
pursuant to present law regarding emergency election plans.
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