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 585 Original 2023 Regular Session Echols
Abstract: Creates a council focused on economic development goals.
Proposed law provides for purpose.
Proposed law defines "accountability", "action plans", "bench marking", "goals", "mission",
"objectives", "philosophy", "strategies", and "vision".
Proposed law creates the Council for Economic Prosperity.
Proposed law requires the council to consist of 17 members and that members be appointed starting
the commencement of the 2024 Regular Session. The governor shall appoint 8 members, the Senate
president shall appoint two members, and the speaker of the House shall appoint two members.
Other members shall include the governor and the secretary of the LED. Council members may
designate another person to represent him for work assigned by the council but not for meetings or
voting.
Proposed law requires that members of the executive committee may not designate a representative
for participation on the executive committee. The chairman may designate a representative for any
meeting, duty, or responsibility pursuant to his membership on the council, except, notwithstanding
any provision of law to the contrary, the chairman shall not designate a representative to chair the
full council meeting at which final adoption of the master plan is considered and voted upon. The
chairman shall preside over such a meeting.
Proposed law requires that the vice chair of the council be elected from the councils members.
Quorum for the council shall be 9 members. Members shall be compensated for actual and
necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official duties in accordance with state travel
regulations.
Proposed law requires that the full council shall meet quarterly, but shall have authority to meet at
times deemed necessary by either the chairman, the executive committee, or a majority of the
members. Only one of the mandatory quarterly meetings shall take place in Baton Rouge. The other
three meeting places will be determined by the chairman of the council.
Proposed law creates the State Plan for Economic Development.
Proposed law requires that the Council for Economic Prosperity shall formulate and establish the state's economic development policy and coordinate and ensure its implementation through the
Department of Economic Development, the office of the governor, and the division of
administration. The council shall formulate the State Plan for Economic Development which shall
include among other elements:
(1)The vision, mission, and philosophy of the state in achieving economic prosperity, a robust
business climate, and high quality employment opportunities for all La. citizens.
(2) An economic model for La. for a twenty-year period, divided into five-year incremental
planning and bench marking periods.
(3) An analysis of the current global, hemispheric, and national economies, their impact on the
economy of Louisiana, and the nature of the competitive environment within which the
Louisiana work force and business community must compete.
(4) An analysis of broad trends of economic change on the national and regional levels in the
United States.
(5) A comprehensive needs assessment and baseline analysis of the Louisiana infrastructure,
business climate, transportation network, economic policy, educational systems, natural
resources, rural development, economic mix, tax structures, revenue stream, industrial
inducements and incentives, and manufacturing base. This analysis shall also assess
Louisiana strengths and weaknesses relative to the external economic environment.
(6)An analysis of the sustainability of the current Louisiana economy over time. A twenty-year
plan, divided into five-year increments, with goals and objectives designed to attain an
effective diversified economic mix of business and industry which would ensure economic
prosperity, full employment, resistance to recession, and consistent growth consonant with
national and global trends.
(7) Broad strategies, which when implemented, will permit the state to fulfill goals and
objectives of the economic vision set forth in the plan. In consultation with the cabinet
advisory group, the council will also submit an outline of how the overall master plan and
five-year objectives will be implemented through the submission of an annual Economic
Development Action Plan. The action plan shall include strategies and action plans
developed by the various departments and approved by the governor.
(8)A comprehensive bench marking and accountability program to measure the performance of
the Louisiana economy and work force and measure the effectiveness of and progress toward
achieving the objectives of each strategy and action plan.
Proposed law requires that the council or the executive committee shall hold at least two public
hearings for the specific purpose of gathering the testimony of the general public on the master plan,
in order that more private citizens have input prior to submission of the plan to the legislature for
approval. Proposed law requires that the council shall adopt the final plan by a majority vote of the total
council membership and shall submit the plan to the legislature for approval or rejection. The plan
shall be submitted to the governor, the president of the Senate, the speaker of the House of
Representatives, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and
International Affairs, and the chairman of the House Committee on Commerce no later than July 1,
2024. The legislature shall, by majority vote of the membership of each house, adopt a concurrent
resolution to accept, reject, or return the master plan to the council for revision. Any rejected or
revised plan which is resubmitted when the legislature is not in session, or is in session but is
constitutionally prohibited from considering a resolution of adoption, may be adopted by a majority
vote of the House of Representatives and of the Senate through a written ballot procedure.
Proposed law requires that the State Plan for Economic Development shall be updated and
resubmitted every five years, commencing with the July 1, 2024, initial submission. The
reformulation and updating of the master plan every five years shall incorporate a new twenty-year
time frame, also divided into five-year components.
Proposed law creates an annual action plan. On the first of July of each year following submission
of the original master plan, the council shall submit an annual report and plan to be known as the
Economic Development Action Plan to the governor, the president of the Senate, the speaker of the
House of Representatives, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer
Protection, and International Affairs, and the chairman of the House Committee on Commerce.
Proposed law requires that the annual action plan shall include the following, among other elements:
(1) A report of council work, deliberations, and actions during the prior year.
(2)A comprehensive program of recommended strategies and action plans for implementation
in the next state fiscal year, including budgetary, legislative, regulatory, program, and private
sector initiatives. Each strategy and action plan shall have measurable goals and objectives
which are fully integrated into the master plan bench marking and accountability model.
(3) An overview of the bench marking and accountability program and presentation of the results
obtained during the prior year. An analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of all initiatives,
operational strategies, and action plans implemented in the prior year.
(4) An explanation of why any strategies or initiatives were not implemented or failed, and
recommendations on how to achieve their successful implementation.
(5) An analysis of changes and trends in the external economic environment.
Proposed law requires that the council shall establish guidelines by which all economic development
funding, awards, grants, incentives, and guarantees are prioritized, whether such issue from the office
of the secretary, any other office of the department, or through any program of the Louisiana
Economic Development Corporation. Proposed law requires that the council shall establish a seven-member executive committee, to be
chaired by the vice chairman of the council, which shall have authority to call meetings of the
council, establish committee schedules, direct the work of staff on loan or assignment, meet with the
governor and the Advisory Commission on Economic Development, and represent the council before
the legislature.
Proposed law states that the executive committee shall have authority to divide the work of the
council into discrete areas and to establish and appoint subcommittee.
Proposed law requires that the executive committee shall meet at least once quarterly with the
Advisory Commission on Economic Development to exchange information and facilitate
implementation strategies. The executive committee may request assignment of one staff member
from each agency represented on the advisory group for utilization on an ad hoc basis with the
council or a subcommittee of the council.
Proposed law provides that the council shall have authority to promulgate all rules, regulations, and
procedures, and to hold hearings, as it deems necessary and appropriate to its responsibilities and
charge, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act.
Proposed law requires that the governor shall direct all appropriate agency heads to implement all
budgetary, regulatory, and programmatic strategies and actions recommended in the State Plan for
Economic Development and in each annual Economic Development Action Plan, subject to
constitutional restrictions.
Proposed law requires that the commissioner of administration shall implement all budgetary and
programmatic strategies and actions recommended in each annual action plan and shall require their
inclusion by any impacted department in all appropriate budget, program, and planning documents.
Actions having budgetary or programmatic impact shall be included in the preparation and
submission of the executive budget to the legislature.
Proposed law creates the Advisory Commission on Economic Development.
Proposed law requires that the Advisory Commission on Economic Development shall be comprised
of the lieutenant governor or his designee the secretary of the Department of Economic
Development, the commissioner of the division of administration the secretary of the Department
of Transportation and Development the secretary of the Workforce Commission, the secretary of the
Department of Natural Resources, the secretary of the Department of Environmental Quality, the
superintendent of education, the state treasurer or his designee, the commissioner of the Department
of Agriculture and Forestry, and the secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services.
Proposed law requires that the advisory group shall advise, coordinate with, and provide research,
informational, and staff support to the Council for Economic Prosperity upon the request of the
council or executive committee. The commissioner of administration shall assign a staff member
with expertise in strategic planning to the advisory group. The secretary of the Department of
Economic Development shall assign a staff member with expertise in strategic planning who is part of the master plan staff team to the advisory group, and shall act as administrator of the Advisory
Commission on Economic Development.
Proposed law requires that the advisory commission shall meet quarterly with the executive
committee of the council to exchange information and facilitate implementation of the master plan
and annual action plans.
Proposed law requires that each member of the advisory commission direct the implementation of
the policies, directives, and components of the State Plan for Economic Development and any
budgetary, legislative, regulatory, or program initiative contained in an Economic Development
Action Plan which would affect or require the action of the agency of his responsibility and charge.
(Adds R.S. 51:2400.1-2400.10)