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 526 Engrossed 2023 Regular Session Zeringue
Abstract: Establishes and provides for a chief resilience officer in the office of the governor, an
Interagency Resilience Coordination Team, and a La. Resilience Task Force to coordinate
and align policies, plans, budgets, and resources regarding resilience.
Proposed law creates a chief resilience officer (CRO) within the office of the governor, who is
appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate.
Provides that the governor may assign other personnel to assist the chief resilience officer as
necessary.
Proposed law requires the CRO to perform functions and duties, including:
(1)Coordinate and provide direction for governmental resilience initiatives.
(2)Provide guidance to agencies at all levels to integrate resilience goals into future plans.
(3)Review and reconcile state agency comments on federally sponsored resilience and risk
mitigation activities to establish and present an official state position.
(4)Pursue all available federal and private funds consistent with the purposes established in
proposed law.
(5)Coordinate with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
(GOHSEP) for emergency management and disaster response.
Proposed law provides the CRO, subject to the approval of the governor, shall:
(1)Coordinate state agency powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities relative to reducing
risk and protecting communities, businesses, vital infrastructure, and the environment,
including flood risk mitigation and disaster housing.
(2)Coordinate all state departmental budget requests for programs and projects pertaining to
resilience and risk mitigation.
(3)Appraise the adequacy of statutory and administrative mechanisms for coordinating the
state's policies and programs at both the intrastate and interstate levels with respect to
resilience and risk mitigation. (4)Appraise the adequacy of federal, regional, state, and local programs to achieve the policies
and meet the goals of the state with respect to resilience and risk mitigation.
(5)Coordinate and focus federal involvement in Louisiana with respect to resilience and risk
mitigation.
(6)Provide the official state recommendations to the legislature and congress with respect to
policies, programs, and coordinating mechanisms relative to resilience and risk mitigation.
(7)Assist with the state's planning efforts including the Coastal Master Plan, the State Hazard
Mitigation Plan, and the Statewide Watershed Management Plan, to ensure the incorporation
and alignment of the state's resilience goals and objectives into a unified, proactive,
pre-disaster approach to adaptation and long-term resilience.
(8)Represent resilience and risk mitigation policy of the state at the federal, regional, state, and
local levels.
Proposed law requires the CRO to develop a statewide resilience report, to be updated and provided
to the legislature annually by Feb. 15th. Specifies that the report must include:
(1)Articulation of the state's resilience goals and objectives.
(2)Utilization of best available science, including a range of future projections, to identify and
implement policies, projects, and programs that achieve the state's resilience goals and
objectives.
(3)Prioritization of agency-identified adaptation actions based on a vulnerability assessment of
risks to agency mission areas, assets, services, and populations served from multiple
environmental threats.
(4)Descriptions of agency strategic actions.
Proposed law requires that each executive branch department head to designate at least one person
to serve as the department's resilience officer. Requires the presiding officers of the legislature to
designate at least one person to serve as the legislature's resilience officer. Requires the chief justice
of the supreme court to designate at least one person to serve as the judiciary's resilience officer.
Requires the names and contact information of the designees to be submitted to the CRO and
requires notification of any change in the name or contact information to be submitted to the CRO
within 10 days. Provides that these agency resilience officers shall coordinate activities with the
CRO and shall serve on the Interagency Resilience Coordination Team established in proposed law.
Proposed law establishes an Interagency Resilience Coordination Team to maintain awareness,
communication, and alignment with regard to the state's resilience and risk mitigation needs,
progress, and priorities and to oversee development of the statewide resilience report.
Proposed law requires that the Interagency Resilience Coordination Team be comprised of the CRO as chair and the agency resilience officers. The CRO is required to convene the coordination team
by Oct. 1, 2023, and they are to meet at least four times a year.
Proposed law establishes a La. Resilience Task Force to provide strategic direction to resilience
efforts across the state and to make recommendations to the chief resilience officer. The task force
shall be composed of the following members:
(1)The chief resilience officer, who shall serve as chair and shall represent the views of the
Interagency Resilience Coordination Team.
(2)The director of GOHSEP or his designee.
(3)The governor's executive assistant for coastal activities or his designee.
(4)The commissioner of the division of administration or his designee.
(5)The commissioner of insurance or his designee.
(6)The secretary of the Dept. of Transportation and Development or his designee.
(7)The executive director of the Police Jury Association or his designee.
(8) The executive director of the Parish Presidents Association or his designee.
(9)The speaker of the House of Representatives or his designee.
(10)The president of the Senate or his designee.
Proposed law requires the task force to meet quarterly and at the call of the chairman.
(Adds R.S. 49:220.41-220.46)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on House and Governmental
Affairs to the original bill:
1. Remove provisions establishing an office of resilience.
2. Provide that agency resilience officers are designated rather than appointed and clarify
which agencies are required to designate an officer.
3. Change provisions requiring the governor, through the chief resiliency officer to perform
specified functions, to requiring the chief resilience officer to perform those functions
subject to the approval of the governor. 4. Change the required submission date of the annual statewide resilience report to the
legislature from by March 1st to by Feb. 15th.
5. Allow the secretary of DOTD to have a designee on the task force.
6. Make technical changes.