The House Public Health Committee heard SB 234 on disaster emergency authored by Sen. Garten, Sen. Freeman, and Sen. Holdman, and sponsored by Rep. Lehman. The bill provides that a state of disaster emergency declared by the governor expires after 30 days and prohibits the governor from calling a new state of disaster emergency unless the new disaster is wholly unrelated to an earlier disaster. The bill also allows the governor to renew a state of disaster emergency solely for the purposes of receiving federal funds, which would expire after 30 days and defines “wholly unrelated”. The Committee amended the bill by a 9-2 roll-call vote to do the following:
- A state of disaster emergency: (1) that applies to the entire state may not continue for more than 60 days unless a renewal is authorized by the general assembly; and (2) that only applies to part of the state may not continue for more than 30 days unless renewed by the governor.
- The renewal of a statewide disaster emergency authorized by the general assembly may continue for not more than 60 days.
- If a state of disaster emergency that applies to the entire state has ended, the governor may not call a new state of disaster emergency that applies to the entire state unless the new disaster is wholly unrelated to the earlier disaster.
The Pacific Legal Foundation testified in support of the bill. The amended bill passed 10-1.
Read the bill at: https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2024/bills/senate/234