2020 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
Title 3 - Agriculture and Forestry
§1485. Industrial Hemp Advisory Committee

RS 1485 - Industrial Hemp Advisory Committee

A. The Industrial Hemp Advisory Committee is hereby created and established and for the purposes of this Section shall be referred to as the committee.

B. The committee is hereby authorized to receive and review information and requests and make recommendations for future legislation relative to the regulation of industrial hemp, industrial hemp products, and industrial hemp-derived CBD products.

C. The committee shall be composed of the following members:

(1) The speaker of the House of Representatives or his designee.

(2) The president of the Senate or his designee.

(3) The chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development or his designee.

(4) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development or his designee.

(5) The chairman of the House Committee on Health and Welfare or his designee.

(6) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare or his designee.

(7) The chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary or his designee.

(8) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary B or his designee.

(9) The chairman of the House Committee on Commerce or his designee.

(10) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Internal Affairs or his designee.

(11) The chairman of the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice or his designee.

(12) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary C or his designee.

D. The chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development and the chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development or their designees shall serve as co-chairmen of the committee and shall fix a time and place for its regular meeting.

E. The committee shall receive staff support from the committee staff of the House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development.

F. The committee may call upon the staff of any department, agency, or official of the state, particularly the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the office of alcohol and tobacco control, and the Louisiana Department of Health for data and assistance, and all such departments, agencies, and officials shall cooperate with the advisory committee.

G. The committee may call upon and utilize the assistance and recommendations of those market participants directly involved with the industrial hemp industry including but not limited to seed distributors, growers, processors, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of industrial hemp, industrial hemp products, and industrial hemp-derived CBD products, and any other private sources as deemed necessary by the committee.

H. The committee shall have the power to hold hearings, require the production of books and records, and do all other things necessary to discharge its duties.

I. The committee shall regularly conduct meetings to fulfill its functions and duties and, no later than January thirty-first of every year, shall report all of its activities and recommendations to the presiding officer of each house, the governor, the standing committees of each house represented on the committee, the commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the commissioner of the office of alcohol and tobacco control, and the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.

J. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the office of alcohol and tobacco control, and the Louisiana Department of Health are hereby directed to make reports and to provide assistance as requested by the committee.

Acts 2020, No. 344, §1.