Disaster Emergency Duration Limits

The bill prohibits the governor from renewing a state of disaster emergency declared in response to any infectious disease, medical, or other health-related situation beyond 30 days, as current law allows, and instead authorizes the general assembly, by adopting a joint resolution, to extend the state of emergency for up to 60 days. The general assembly may continue, by adopting a joint resolution for each extension, to extend a state of disaster emergency for periods of up to 60 days for as long as it deems it necessary to do so. If the general assembly is not scheduled to convene in a regular session when a state of disaster emergency will end as required by the bill, the governor or a 2/3 majority of the members of each house of the general assembly, in accordance with applicable state constitutional provisions, may call the general assembly into an extraordinary session to consider extending the state of disaster emergency. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)