HLS 23RS-2130 REENGROSSED
2023 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 649 (Substitute for House Bill No. 482 by Representative Echols)
BY REPRESENTATIVES ECHOLS, BUTLER, FISHER, FREIBERG, MCFARLAND,
THOMPSON, AND WHITE
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
HIGHWAYS: Provides for a Louisiana Music Trail and related programs
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 36:209(A)(10) and Part VII of Chapter 9 of Title 56 of the Louisiana Revised
3 Statutes of 1950, to be comprised of R.S. 56:1950.21 through 1950.26, relative to the
4 Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism; to provide for the Louisiana Music
5 Trail; to create the Louisiana Music Trail Commission and to provide for its powers
6 and duties; to provide for programs to promote the trail; to provide for
7 responsibilities of the office of cultural development, the office of tourism, and the
8 Department of Transportation and Development; to require reports; and to provide
9 for related matters.
10Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. Part VII of Chapter 9 of Title 56 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of
121950, comprised of R.S. 56:1950.21 through 1950.26, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
13 PART VII. LOUISIANA MUSIC TRAIL
14 §1950.21. Purpose
15 The purpose of the Louisiana Music Trail is to commemorate and to promote
16 awareness and encourage enjoyment of the stories, biographies, and points of interest
17 in blues, rock and roll, country, zydeco, cajun, jazz, rhythm and blues, hip-hop,
18 swamp pop, gospel, and other music types througout Louisiana
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1 §1950.22. Louisiana Music Trail
2 The Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism may establish a process
3 and criteria for adding routes to the Louisiana Music Trail. Any political subdivision
4 may request that a specified segment of a state or U.S. highway be included in the
5 trail.
6 §1950.23. Louisiana Music Trail Commission; creation; membership
7 A. There is hereby created the Louisiana Music Trail Commission within the
8 office of cultural development.
9 B. The commission shall be composed of seven members as follows:
10 (1) The assistant secretary of the office of cultural development, or his
11 designee.
12 (2) The assistant secretary of the office of tourism, or his designee.
13 (3) The lieutenant governor shall appoint five members who shall serve at
14 the pleasure of the lieutenant governor. Such members shall be residents of five
15 different parishes through which the Louisiana Music Trail passes. Two shall have
16 a bachelor's degree or professional experience in the field of music and three shall
17 have a bachelor's degree or professional experience in art, history, or tourism.
18 (4) Members of the commission shall serve without compensation for their
19 service but may receive expense reimbursement.
20 C.(1) The office of cultural development and the office of tourism shall
21 provide a meeting space and staffing for the commission.
22 (2) The Louisiana Music Trail Commission shall meet as often as necessary
23 to perform its duties under this Part but not less than quarterly.
24 (3) The assistant secretary of the office of cultural development or his
25 designee shall call the first meeting of the commission, and the commission shall
26 elect a chairman at its first meeting.
27 (4) The commission shall adopt bylaws for the governance of its affairs.
28 (5) Four members of the commission constitute a quorum for the transaction
29 of business.
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1 §1950.24. Duties of the commission; Louisiana Music Trail programs
2 A. The Louisiana Music Trail Commission shall establish and administer the
3 following Louisiana Music Trail programs:
4 (1) A tourism program that focuses on highlighting music stories and related
5 dynamics on the designated music highways.
6 (2) A signage program that captures the stories, biographies, and points of
7 interest in blues, rock and roll, country, zydeco, cajun, jazz, rhythm and blues, hip-
8 hop, swamp pop, gospel, and other music types.
9 B. The office of cultural development and the office of tourism shall provide
10 assistance to the commission in establishing and administering the programs.
11 C. The commission shall maintain information about federal and state grant
12 opportunities to encourage the development of exhibits related to the musical
13 heritage of the region.
14 D. The office of cultural development shall promulgate rules necessary to
15 implement the Louisiana Music Trail programs created under this Section.
16 E. The commission may accept, receive, and use grants, monies, equipment,
17 material, services, and immovable and movable property donated, bequeathed, or
18 devised for any purpose relating to the activities of the commission and not expressly
19 designated for any other agency.
20 §1950.25 Biennial report
21 A. The Louisiana Music Trail Commission shall submit a report by
22 December thirty-first of each even-numbered year to the governor and the
23 legislature.
24 B. The report required by this Section shall include the following:
25 (1) The commission's goals for increasing the number of music routes and
26 signage over the next biennium.
27 (2) The tourism marketing and promotion the commission will focus on over
28 the next biennium.
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1 (3) The qualified routes approved by the commission and added to the
2 Louisiana Music Trail during the biennium for which the report is being made,
3 including the following:
4 (a) The name of the political subdivision that applied for approval of the
5 route.
6 (b) A description of the music history and significance of the route.
7 (c) The location of the route including the start and end points.
8 §1950.26. Signage; official state map designation; official logo
9 A. The Department of Transportation and Development or its contractors
10 shall erect appropriate signage, in accordance with the manual on uniform traffic
11 control devices, reflecting those highways or sections of highways designated
12 pursuant to this Part as the Louisiana Music Trail if funds are received by the
13 department equal to the department's actual costs for material, fabrication, mounting
14 posts, and installation of each sign.
15 B. The Department of Transportation and Development may identify all
16 highways designated as the Louisiana Music Trail on any official state highway
17 maps prepared and distributed by the department.
18 C. The Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism shall develop the
19 official logo of the Louisiana Music Trail, and the logo shall be used as the logo to
20 identify the routes designated as the Louisiana Music Trail. The logo shall be used
21 on appropriate signage and official state highway maps to indicate those routes
22 designated as the Louisiana Music Trail.
23 Section 2. R.S. 36:209(A)(10) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
24 §209. Transfer of boards, commissions, departments, and agencies to Department
25 of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
26 A. The following agencies are transferred to and hereafter shall be within the
27 Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in accordance with the provisions
28 of R.S. 36:901 et seq. except as otherwise provided by this Subsection:
29 * * *
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1 (10) The Louisiana Music Trail Commission (R.S. 56:1950.23).
2 * * *
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 649 Reengrossed 2023 Regular Session Echols
Abstract: Provides for a La. Music Trail.
Proposed law creates the La. Music Trail, comprised of highways as approved by the Dept.
of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. Authorizes political subdivisions to request that
specified highway segments be included.
Proposed law creates the La. Music Trail Commission, which shall establish and administer:
(1)A tourism program that focuses on highlighting music stories and related dynamics
on the designated music highways.
(2)A signage program that captures the stories, biographies, and points of interest in
blues, rock and roll, jazz, rockabilly, soul, hip hop, opera, country, zydeco, swamp
pop, gospel and other music throughout La.
Proposed law provides that the commission is composed of the assistant secretary of the
office of cultural development or his designee, the assistant secretary of the office of tourism
or his designee, and five members appointed by the lieutenant governor.
Proposed law provides that the office of cultural development shall promulgates rules
necessary to implement the La. Music Trail programs. Authorizes the commission to accept,
receive, and use funds, services, and other property donated, bequeathed, or devised for any
purpose relating to its activities.
Proposed law requires the commission to submit a report by Dec. 31st of each even-
numbered year to the governor and the legislature. Requires that the report include:
(1)The commission's goals for increasing the number of music routes and signage over
the next biennium.
(2)The tourism marketing and promotion the commission will focus on over the next
biennium.
(3)The qualified routes approved by the commission during the biennium for which the
report is being made.
Proposed law requires the Dept. of Transportation and Development to erect appropriate
signs along the La. Music Trail and authorizes the department to identify designated
highways on official state highway maps. Requires the Dept. of Culture, Recreation and
Tourism to develop the official logo.
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(Adds R.S 36:209(A)(10) and R.S. 56:1950.21-1950.26)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:
1. Change the appointing authority for five members of the commission from the
governor to the lieutenant governor.
2. Change one member of the commission from the byways and trails director to
the assistant secretary of the office of tourism.
3. Change the nature of the commission within the department from a policy
making board to an advisory board.
4. Remove references to music projects and payment of qualified expenses for
music projects.
5. Remove statutorily specified U.S. highways from the La. Music Trail.
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