DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute part of the law
or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 722 Original 2018 Regular Session Zeringue
Abstract: Requires oysters taken or sold to be "wholesome and marketable" and describes what
qualifies as a "wholesome and marketable" oyster.
Present law prohibits any person from harvesting, possessing, selling, bartering, trading, purchasing,
or exchanging an oyster taken from an area closed by the La. Dept. of Health. Proposed law adds that
the oyster must be wholesome and marketable.
Proposed law requires that an oyster harvested for raw consumption is "wholesome and marketable"
if it is of an appropriate color and rounded shape and the shell is naturally fully closed and not
gaping. Proposed law also requires that a wholesome and marketable oyster must be harvested and
transported in accordance with the standards of the National Shellfish Sanitation Program. Further
requires that the oyster must measure a minimum of three inches from hinge to bill unless the oyster
is an oyster grown and harvested under an Alternative Oyster Culture permit or grown off-bottom
in cages, racks, or trays which must measure a minimum of two and one-half inches from hinge to
bill. Further provides that a maximum of five percent of a sack of shellstock oysters may be material
that does not qualify as "wholesome and marketable oysters".
(Amends R.S. 56:424(E)(1))