Tuesday, November 7, 2023

La.'s resilience task force meets

BATON ROUGE - Efforts to better coordinate and improve Louisiana’s resilience to storms and natural disasters commenced here Nov. 6 with a new legislative task force.

Gov. John Bel Edwards addressed the first meeting of the Louisiana Resilience Task Force amid a reprieve from 50 state emergency declarations, including 24 that triggered federal declarations, since he took office in 2016. 

While Edwards highlighted the progress, he noted “it’s possible to stand up structures and processes that allow us to do more to adapt all across government, and to do that when the weather is clear.”

That’s the intent behind House Bill 525, now Act 315, from the 2023 legislative session that created a new chief resilience officer and framework for resilience and risk mitigation work across state agencies, including an Interagency Resilience Coordination Team and the task force. 

Task force members detailed work already underway to protect residents and the coast from natural disasters. 

The task force will continue to meet at least quarterly to develop recommendations for lawmakers next year, and resources for local governments to pursue federal funding, with a required report to the legislature annually by Feb. 15. (The Center Square 11/07/23) Legislative Task Force to Examine Louisiana's Disaster Response Protocols - Biz New Orleans

No comments: