Louisiana 2022 2022 Regular Session

Louisiana House Bill HR227 Introduced / Bill

                    HLS 22RS-5196	ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 227
BY REPRESENTATIVE ZERINGUE
FLOODING/CONTROL:  Urges and requests certain state agencies, working with the
Association of Levee Boards of Louisiana, to make recommendations relative to
certain policies and laws impacting flood protection and restoration and its funding
1	A RESOLUTION
2To urge and request that the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the Governor's
3 Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Department of
4 Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation and Development, the
5 Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and
6 the Division of Administration's Office of Community Development work with the
7 leadership or designees of the Association of Levee Boards of Louisiana (ALBL),
8 to recommend a legislative framework and the structure of a permanent nonstate
9 entity to track and advocate to address, change, propose, or modify federal policy
10 and law issues impacting flood protection and restoration throughout Louisiana and
11 to create a structure to receive outside funding for these same purposes and to deliver
12 a report regarding the same to the House of Representatives of the Legislature of
13 Louisiana prior to the 2023 Regular Session of the Legislature.
14 WHEREAS, the members of the ALBL, each being political subdivisions of the state
15of Louisiana, regularly encounter federal agency policy issues, regulatory issues, executive
16orders of the administration, and laws, existing or proposed, that adversely impact their
17ability to provide flood protection and or drainage within their jurisdiction; and
18 WHEREAS, the above listed state agencies and offices also regularly encounter
19federal agency policy issues, executive orders of the administration, and laws, existing or
20proposed, that adversely impact their ability to provide flood protection, restoration,
Page 1 of 4 HLS 22RS-5196	ORIGINAL
HR NO. 227
1recovery, construction, rehabilitation, and other services to the residents of the state of
2Louisiana within their agency's charge and mission; and
3 WHEREAS, examples of these federal policies, circulars, guides, manuals, laws,
4established definitions, among others, existing or proposed, include as a way of example but
5are not limited to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); the Federal Emergency
6Management Agency (FEMA) Risk Rating 2.0; the NFIP Floodplain Management
7Standards; the definition of Waters of the United States; the United States Army Corps of
8Engineers National Levee Safety Program; the Magnuson-Stevens Act; the Gulf of Mexico
9Energy Security Act; the Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems Act;
10regulatory guidance on EPA section 404 and 408; the Rivers and Harbors Act; the United
11States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant
12Funding and Disaster Relief Funding; the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and
13Restoration Act; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; and the Natural Resource
14Damage Assessment; and
15 WHEREAS, state agencies and offices can find it challenging to both affect
16programmatic changes in policy, procedure, and law as it pertains to the very programs they
17administer on behalf of the citizens of Louisiana while at the same time administering these
18important programs; and
19 WHEREAS, it is believed that the state agencies referenced in this resolution do not
20have an appropriate avenue to receive outside, nongovernmental funding for flood
21protection, drainage, restoration and other disaster recovery or remediation funds; and
22 WHEREAS, collectively, the above agencies and the ALBL do not have a
23mechanism to hire appropriate services to advocate for tracking, monitoring, or
24recommending change or other actions pertaining to federal agency policy issues, regulatory
25issues, executive orders of the administration, and laws, existing or proposed, that adversely
26impact their ability to provide flood protection and or drainage within their jurisdiction; and
27 WHEREAS, there is no statewide consolidated effort to provide timely responses to
28federal issues related to flood protection, drainage and restoration as they may arise; and
29 WHEREAS, the citizens of Louisiana would benefit from a better coordinated state
30effort in the formation of an entity working for these states agencies as part of or along with
Page 2 of 4 HLS 22RS-5196	ORIGINAL
HR NO. 227
1the ALBL to address these federal flood protection and restoration issues timely and
2effectively.
3 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the 
4Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the Coastal Protection and Restoration
5Authority, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the
6Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation and Development, the
7Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and the
8Division of Administration's Office of Community Development work with the leadership
9or designees of the Association of Levee Boards of Louisiana, to recommend a legislative
10framework and the structure of a permanent nonstate entity to track and advocate to address,
11change, propose, or modify federal policy and law issues impacting flood protection and
12restoration throughout Louisiana and to create a structure to receive outside funding for these
13same purposes and to deliver a report regarding the same to the House of Representatives
14of the Legislature of Louisiana prior to the 2023 Regular Session of the Legislature.
15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
16president of the Association of Levee Boards of Louisiana, the executive director of the
17Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the director of the Governor's Office of
18Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the secretary of the Department of Natural
19Resources, the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development, the
20secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality, the secretary of the Department of
21Wildlife and Fisheries, and the executive director of the Division of Administration's Office
22of Community Development.
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)]
HR 227 Original 2022 Regular Session	Zeringue
Urges and requests the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the Governor's Office
of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Dept. of Natural Resources, the
Dept. of Transportation and Development, the Dept. of Environmental Quality, the Dept. of
Wildlife and Fisheries, and the Division of Administration's Office of Community
Development work with the leadership or designees of the Association of Levee Boards of
La., to recommend a legislative framework and the structure of a permanent nonstate entity
to track and advocate to address, change, propose, or modify federal policy and law issues
Page 3 of 4 HLS 22RS-5196	ORIGINAL
HR NO. 227
impacting flood protection and restoration throughout La. and to create a structure to receive
outside funding for these same purposes and to deliver a report regarding the same to the
Legislature of La. prior to the 2023 R.S. of the Legislature.
Page 4 of 4