ENROLLED
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Regular Session, 2011
HOUSE BILL NO. 424
BY REPRESENTATIVES MONTOUCET, BOBBY BADON, BALDONE, BARRAS,
BISHOP, BROSSETT, CHAMPAGNE, CONNICK, CORTEZ, DIXON, DOERGE,
DOVE, EDWARDS, ELLINGTON, GISCLAIR, GUILLORY, GUINN, HARDY,
HARRISON, HENRY, HUVAL, SAM JONES, LANDRY, LEBAS, LEGER,
LOPINTO, PONTI, RITCHIE, ROBIDEAUX, ST. GERMAIN, TEMPLET, AND
TUCKER
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
AN ACT1
To enact Chapter 14 of Title 25 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be comprised2
of R.S. 25:671 through 674, to provide for the Louisiana French Language Services3
Program; to provide for identification of employees in state departments who can4
provide services in French or assist employees in providing services to French-5
speaking persons; to provide for development and implementation of the program6
by the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in concert with the Council7
for the Development of French in Louisiana; and to provide for related matters.8
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:9
Section 1. Chapter 14 of Title 25 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,10
comprised of R.S. 25:671 through 674, is hereby enacted to read as follows:11
CHAPTER 14. LOUISIANA FRENCH LANGUAGE SERVI CES PROGRAM12
§671. Legislative findings13
The legislature finds that:14
(1) The heritage of the French-speaking people of Louisiana is one of the15
greatest treasures of Louisiana's rich cultural patrimony and perhaps the most16
significant factor in making the state's culture unique.17
(2) Louisiana has a quarter of a million French-speaking citizens and a18
million residents of French-language heritage, and French-speaking visitors to19
Louisiana spend roughly one hundred million dollars annually in the state.20 ENROLLEDHB NO. 424
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(3) Commercial and industrial concerns based in France have made1
investments of one billion eight hundred million dollars in the state and further2
encouragement of such investment is in the interests of the state.3
(4) Providing state government services in the French language would4
encourage the preservation of the state's French cultural heritage for future5
generations, would provide important and sometimes life-sustaining services to6
French-speaking citizens and visitors, and would support and encourage French7
investment in Louisiana, and therefore, would serve not only the state's French-8
speaking citizens but the entire state.9
§672. Louisiana French Language Services Program; purposes10
The Louisiana French Language Services Program shall be established as11
provided in this Chapter for the following purposes:12
(1) To the extent practicable, to provide state government services to French-13
speaking citizens and visitors in the French language.14
(2) To assist Louisiana citizens who speak French in dealing with and15
receiving services from state government so as to support the long-term16
sustainability of Louisiana's historic French cultural heritage.17
(3) To assist French-speaking visitors to the state and thus to promote an18
increase in tourism and greater investment in the state from Francophone countries.19
§673. Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism; program responsibilities;20
cooperation of departments21
A. The Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, referred to in this22
Chapter as the "department", in concert with and under the guidance of the Council23
for the Development of French in Louisiana, shall develop and provide for24
implementation of a program for provision of services of state government in the25
French language.26
B.(1)(a) In developing the program, the department shall work in27
cooperation with departments of state government, and such departments shall28
cooperate with the department.29 ENROLLEDHB NO. 424
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(b) The Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism shall also participate1
in the program in the same manner as other departments.2
(2) The department shall request each state department to identify its3
employees who speak French with sufficient fluency to provide or assist others in4
providing services of the department to French-speaking persons and shall assist the5
departments in identifying such employees. The department shall request the6
Council for the Development of French in Louisiana to assist the departments of7
state government in identifying employees who speak French with necessary8
fluency.9
(3) The department shall develop guidelines for implementation of the10
program. Such guidelines shall address such issues as priorities in implementing the11
program in service areas with greater numbers of French-speaking citizens or visitors12
and for services dealing with such matters as health, safety, compliance with13
regulations, or complexity of processes. The implementation guidelines shall also14
address dealing with limited department resources.15
(4) The department shall provide for appropriate insignia, such as a badge16
with the word "Bienvenue" or "Bonjour" to identify employees who will assist17
French-speaking clients in accessing and using department services. The department18
shall provide procedures for recognition of the employees entitled to wear such19
insignia which may include recognition of the employee's language skills by the20
Council for the Development of French in Louisiana.21
C.(1) The department shall provide for implementation of the program by22
state departments in accordance with the guidelines developed as provided in this23
Section and subject to the resources available to individual departments.24
(2) The department shall urge the convention and visitors bureaus throughout25
the state to implement a similar program.26 ENROLLEDHB NO. 424
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§674. Recommendations; award of excellence1
A. The Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism shall make2
recommendations for improving the provision of French language services to state3
departments, the governor, and the legislature.4
B. The department may institute an annual "Sceau d'excellence" [Seal of5
excellence] designation for the state department, agency, or office that best6
accomplishes the program's purposes, giving consideration to public visibility and7
recognition for the program within the department, agency, or office and the8
proportion of employees who are participating.9
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED: