RS 3:3512 Advisory boards and committees - Louisiana Statutes

§3512.  Advisory boards and committees

A.  Any marketing order shall provide for the establishment of an advisory board to assist the commissioner in the administration of any marketing order.  The members of such board shall be appointed by the commissioner.  The number of members of such boards shall be determined by the commodity group represented.  Such boards shall have no less than seven members and no more than eleven members, the final number to be determined at such hearing.  A marketing order shall, however, provide for the appointment of members from nominations made by the producers and handlers and shall also provide for the method of selecting such nominees.  Marketing orders shall provide for each position on the advisory board, producers or handlers shall nominate two persons and the commissioner shall appoint one of such names.  In the event two or more commodities join in a marketing order, each commodity shall be represented by its own board of equal membership.  These boards shall sit in joint meetings.

B.  If the marketing order affects directly only producers of a particular commodity, the members of the advisory board shall be producers.  If the marketing order affects directly only handlers of a particular commodity, the members of the advisory board shall be handlers.

C.  If the marketing order affects directly both producers and handlers of a particular commodity, the advisory board shall be composed of both producers and handlers.  The number of each shall be determined by the commissioner and a majority of board members shall be producers.

D.  Upon the recommendation of the advisory board, the commissioner may appoint one person who is neither a producer nor a handler to represent consumers.

E.  A member of an advisory board is entitled to a per diem of twenty-five dollars while engaged in performing his duties that are authorized by this Part and, with the approval of the advisory board concerned, may receive per diem not to exceed twenty-five dollars per day for each day spent in actual attendance at, or traveling to and from, meetings of the board or on special assignment for the board.

F.  The commissioner may authorize an advisory board to do all of the following:

(1)  Enter into contracts or agreements.

(2)  Employ necessary personnel, including attorneys engaged in the private practice of the law, and fix their compensation and terms of employment.

(3)  Incur such expenses, to be paid by the commissioner from monies which are collected as provided in this Part, as the commissioner may deem necessary and proper to enable the advisory board properly to perform its duties.

G.  The duties of an advisory board are administrative only and any such board may do only the following:

(1)  Administer the marketing order subject to the approval of the commissioner.

(2)  Recommend to the commissioner administrative rules and regulations which relate to the marketing order.

(3)  Receive and report to the commissioner complaints of violations of the marketing order.

(4)  Recommend to the commissioner amendments to the marketing order.

(5)  Assist the commissioner in the assessment of members and in collection of funds to cover administrative expenses.

(6)  Assist the commissioner in the collection of necessary data.

H.  Each advisory board shall file an annual report with the commissioner and members involved in such order.

I.  The board members and employees shall not be individually liable on any contract of the advisory board.

J.  Special committees or subcommittees may be established to assist the advisory board.  Each advisory board may appoint such committees to handle necessary business upon the approval of the commissioner.

K.  If the marketing order so authorizes, or there is a recommendation of the advisory board, the commissioner may establish such committees and make appointments to them.

L.  An advisory board may at any time invite any persons to their meetings to serve in an advisory capacity and the commissioner may, if requested by the advisory board, pay necessary expenses to such persons at rates not to exceed those granted to advisory board members.

M.  Any action of any committee, special committee, or subcommittee of the board, is subject to final approval by the advisory board.  Members and alternate members of any committee, special committee, or subcommittee are entitled to reimbursement for actual expenses incurred in official duties.

N.  It is hereby declared that the producer, or handler, or both, appointed to any advisory board is intended to represent the particular agricultural industry concerned.  Such representation is intended to serve the public interest.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 500, §1; Acts 2009, No. 24, §8J, eff. June 12, 2009.