Louisiana HB 526: Chief Resilience Officer and Interagency Resilience Coordination Team

In 2023, Louisiana House Bill 526 was adopted and signed into law as Act 315, establishing the position of Chief Resilience Officer within the Office of the Governor by statute, and mandating a cross-government approach to resilience and environmental hazards faced by the state. 

In recent decades, the state of Louisiana has faced increased flood risk, coastal land loss, and devastating hurricanes exacerbated by climate change. In response to these challenges, the state’s Legislature and Governor’s Office have taken actions to create a framework that will enable the state to prepare for natural disasters and future impacts of climate change in a coordinated and collaborative manner. 

Louisiana H.B. 526 solidified the position of Chief Resilience Officer (CRO) within the Office of the Governor, first established by Executive Order in 2020. Appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, the CRO is charged with various duties including:

  • Coordinating and providing strategic direction for governmental resilience initiatives,
  • Providing technical guidance to integrate statewide resilience goals into future plans and initiatives,
  • Pursuing available funding, 
  • Coordinating with relevant offices for emergency management and disaster response as a member of the Louisiana Resilience Task Force,
  • Providing official state recommendations to the legislature and congress with respect to resilience and risk mitigation, and
  • Developing a strategic statewide resilience report and assisting with state planning efforts, including the Coastal Master Plans.

H.B. 526 also establishes an Interagency Resilience Coordination Team. This team consists of resilience officers from each state agency and is chaired by the CRO and functions to assist and guide agencies in the development of strategic resilience plans.   

HB 526 was enacted in a new Part VIII (“Resilience”) of Chapter 2 of Title 49 (State Administration) of the Louisiana Revised Statutes (La. Rev. Stat. §§ 49:220:41-46).

Publication Date: June 13, 2023

Related Organizations:

  • State of Louisiana

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  • Laws

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