Executive Order 119 Issued and Includes Transportation Waiver
Governor Cooper Issues New Executive Order
Governor Cooper issued Executive Order 119 on Friday, March 20, 2020, to facilitate critical motor vehicle operations to delegate certain authority to the Department of Health and Human Services to waive regulations in order to expand access to child care and support local health departments
To address the COVID-19 pandemic issues in North Carolina, the governor has issued multiple executive orders to date.
Executive Order 119 – Issued March 20, 2020
This order waives certain restrictions to increase access to caregivers to provide flexible child care and elder care during the coronavirus emergency and provides flexibility to local health departments working to adapt to the increased need for their resources.
The order also provides for ways for Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices to enact social distancing protections, and waives some registration requirements to ensure resources can be delivered by truck throughout the state.
Specifically, the Order provides for the following provisions:
- Improve access to safe, flexible child care for first responders, emergency personnel, food preparers and others;
- Transfer authority to local health departments to be more flexible with mandates during the crisis, so they can prioritize the most needed services;
- Lifts some restrictions so that volunteers and other caregivers may care for children and elders during the crisis.
The transportation waiver includes provisions to:
- Allow DMV offices to ensure appropriate social distancing including requiring appointments and making sure offices have enough space for DMV customers;
- Postpone DMV hearings that can reasonably be delayed during the crisis response;
- Offers clarity around regulations so that critical supplies can get where they are needed throughout the state;
- Waive Commercial Driver’s License requirements to ensure school buses can be utilized in responding to the crisis.
