RÉSUMÉ DIGEST
ACT 315 (HB 526) 2023 Regular Session Zeringue
New law creates a chief resilience officer (CRO) 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 CRO as necessary.
New 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 new law.
(5)Coordinate with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness (GOHSEP) for emergency management and disaster response.
New law requires the CRO, subject to the approval of the governor, to:
(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 La. 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.
New law requires the CRO to develop a statewide resilience report, to be updated and
provided to the legislature annually by Feb. 15th. Requires the report to 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.
New law requires 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. Requires the agency resilience officers to coordinate
activities with the CRO and to serve on the Interagency Resilience Coordination Team
established by new law.
New 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.
New 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 the team is required to meet at least four times each
year.
New 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
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 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 Assoc. of La. or his designee.
(8) The executive director of the Parish Presidents of La. Assoc. or his designee.
(9)The speaker of the House of Representatives or his designee.
(10)The president of the Senate or his designee.
(11)The executive director of the La. Municipal Assoc. or his designee.
(12)A member from the Public Service Commission.
(13)The commissioner of higher education or his designee.
(14)The secretary of the Dept. of Children and Family Services or his designee.
New law requires the task force to meet quarterly and at the call of the chairman.
Effective upon signature of governor (June 13, 2023)).
(Adds R.S. 49:220.41-220.46)