2006 Louisiana Laws - RS 3:445.4 — Louisiana crawfish market development authority; creation; membership; domicile; terms; filling of vacancies; oaths of office; quorum; expulsion of members; per diem; officers and employees

§445.4.  Louisiana Crawfish Market Development Authority; creation; membership; domicile; terms; filling of vacancies; oaths of office; quorum; expulsion of members; per diem; officers and employees

A.  The Louisiana Crawfish Market Development Authority is hereby created as a body public, constituting an instrumentality of the state of Louisiana, and authorized to exercise public and essential governmental functions as a public entity within the Louisiana Department of Agriculture as herein provided. Notwithstanding any provision of this Part or of any other law to the contrary, the authority shall perform and exercise its powers, duties, functions, and responsibilities as provided in R.S. 36:913.  The authority shall continue in existence until June 30th, 2000, at which time its responsibilities and outstanding obligations, if any, shall be transferred as herein provided to the State Market Commission created under R.S. 3:401.

B.  The authority shall consist of eight members, four of whom shall be appointed by the commissioner of agriculture as follows:

(1)  One member selected from a list of three names submitted by the Louisiana Restaurant Association.

(2)  One member selected from a list of three names submitted by the Louisiana Crawfish Farmers Association.

(3)  One member selected from a list of three names submitted by the Louisiana Crawfish Producers Association.

(4)  One member who is a seafood retailer and whose business includes the sale of crawfish.

C.  The governor shall appoint one person-at-large.

D.  The commissioner of agriculture, the chancellor of the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, and the president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, Inc., or their respective designees, shall serve ex officio on the authority, with all of the powers, duties, rights, privileges, and responsibilities as other members appointed by the commissioner.

E.  The domicile of the authority shall be in the city of Baton Rouge.

F.  All appointments shall be subject to Senate confirmation and members and appointed members shall serve terms concurrent with the governor.  Whenever a vacancy occurs in an appointed position on the authority, the commissioner shall make an appointment to fill the vacant position under the same terms and conditions as required for the original appointment.

G.  Each member shall take and subscribe to the oath of office prescribed for state officials. Members shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified.

H.  A majority of the membership of the authority shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of official business. All official action of the authority shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of the members at a meeting where a quorum is present.

I.  The authority, by a majority vote of its members, may expel any appointed member who has accumulated three consecutive unexcused absences from authority meetings.

J.  Members of the authority shall not receive any salary for the performance of their duties as members.  Appointed members may receive a per diem to be established by the authority, but not to exceed forty dollars, and may be reimbursed for mileage expenses at the rate provided for state employees incurred in attending meetings or otherwise performing services for the authority within the state.  In the event that it becomes necessary or advisable for any members of the authority to travel out-of-state on behalf of the authority's interest, the commissioner may approve such out-of-state travel, reimbursement for which shall be in accordance with procedures governing reimbursement paid to state officials for expenses incurred in out-of-state travel.

K.  The commissioner of agriculture will serve as chairman and at the first meeting of the authority under the Part, the members shall elect, from their membership, a vice chairman, and such other officers as the authority may deem advisable.

L.  The authority, with the prior approval of the commissioner, shall appoint a director and an assistant director, who shall be in the unclassified service of the state, and who shall be professionally qualified to perform the duties and functions assigned to them by the authority.

Acts 1985, No. 880, §1, eff. July 23, 1985.