Disaster Emergency Duration Limits

The bill extends the duration of a state of disaster emergency declared by the governor from 30 to 60 days, but prohibits the governor from renewing a state of disaster emergency declared beyond 60 days. Instead, the bill authorizes the general assembly, upon the written request of the governor and by adopting a joint resolution, to extend the state of disaster emergency for up to 60 additional days. The general assembly may continue, at the written request of the governor and 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 two-thirds 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.)