ENROLLED
ACT No. 283
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
1 AN ACT
2 To 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.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. Part VII of Chapter 9 of Title 56 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of
12 1950, 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 throughout Louisiana.
19 §1950.22. Louisiana Music Trail
20 The Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism may establish a process
21 and criteria for adding routes to the Louisiana Music Trail. Any political subdivision
22 may request that a specified segment of a state or U.S. highway be included in the
23 trail.
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1 §1950.23. Louisiana Music Trail Commission; creation; membership
2 A. There is hereby created the Louisiana Music Trail Commission within the
3 office of cultural development.
4 B. The commission shall be composed of seven members as follows:
5 (1) The assistant secretary of the office of cultural development, or his
6 designee.
7 (2) The assistant secretary of the office of tourism, or his designee.
8 (3) The lieutenant governor shall appoint five members who shall serve at
9 the pleasure of the lieutenant governor. Such members shall be residents of five
10 different parishes through which the Louisiana Music Trail passes. Two shall have
11 a bachelor's degree or professional experience in the field of music and three shall
12 have a bachelor's degree or professional experience in art, history, or tourism.
13 (4) Members of the commission shall serve without compensation for their
14 service but may receive expense reimbursement.
15 C.(1) The office of cultural development and the office of tourism shall
16 provide a meeting space and staffing for the commission.
17 (2) The Louisiana Music Trail Commission shall meet as often as necessary
18 to perform its duties under this Part but not less than quarterly.
19 (3) The assistant secretary of the office of cultural development or his
20 designee shall call the first meeting of the commission, and the commission shall
21 elect a chairman at its first meeting.
22 (4) The commission shall adopt bylaws for the governance of its affairs.
23 (5) Four members of the commission constitute a quorum for the transaction
24 of business.
25 §1950.24. Duties of the commission; Louisiana Music Trail programs
26 A. The Louisiana Music Trail Commission shall establish and administer the
27 following Louisiana Music Trail programs:
28 (1) A tourism program that focuses on highlighting music stories and related
29 dynamics on the designated music highways.
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1 (2) A signage program that captures the stories, biographies, and points of
2 interest in blues, rock and roll, country, zydeco, cajun, jazz, rhythm and blues, hip-
3 hop, swamp pop, gospel, and other music types.
4 B. The office of cultural development and the office of tourism shall provide
5 assistance to the commission in establishing and administering the programs.
6 C. The commission shall maintain information about federal and state grant
7 opportunities to encourage the development of exhibits related to the musical
8 heritage of the region.
9 D. The office of cultural development shall promulgate rules necessary to
10 implement the Louisiana Music Trail programs created under this Section.
11 E. The commission may accept, receive, and use grants, monies, equipment,
12 material, services, and immovable and movable property donated, bequeathed, or
13 devised for any purpose relating to the activities of the commission and not expressly
14 designated for any other agency.
15 §1950.25 Biennial report
16 A. The Louisiana Music Trail Commission shall submit a report by
17 December thirty-first of each even-numbered year to the governor and the
18 legislature.
19 B. The report required by this Section shall include the following:
20 (1) The commission's goals for increasing the number of music routes and
21 signage over the next biennium.
22 (2) The tourism marketing and promotion the commission will focus on over
23 the next biennium.
24 (3) The qualified routes approved by the commission and added to the
25 Louisiana Music Trail during the biennium for which the report is being made,
26 including the following:
27 (a) The name of the political subdivision that applied for approval of the
28 route.
29 (b) A description of the music history and significance of the route.
30 (c) The location of the route including the start and end points.
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1 §1950.26. Signage; official state map designation; official logo
2 A. The Department of Transportation and Development or its contractors
3 shall erect appropriate signage, in accordance with the manual on uniform traffic
4 control devices, reflecting those highways or sections of highways designated
5 pursuant to this Part as the Louisiana Music Trail if funds are received by the
6 department equal to the department's actual costs for material, fabrication, mounting
7 posts, and installation of each sign.
8 B. The Department of Transportation and Development may identify all
9 highways designated as the Louisiana Music Trail on any official state highway
10 maps prepared and distributed by the department.
11 C. The Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism shall develop the
12 official logo of the Louisiana Music Trail, and the logo shall be used as the logo to
13 identify the routes designated as the Louisiana Music Trail. The logo shall be used
14 on appropriate signage and official state highway maps to indicate those routes
15 designated as the Louisiana Music Trail.
16 Section 2. R.S. 36:209(A)(10) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
17 §209. Transfer of boards, commissions, departments, and agencies to Department
18 of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
19 A. The following agencies are transferred to and hereafter shall be within the
20 Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in accordance with the provisions
21 of R.S. 36:901 et seq. except as otherwise provided by this Subsection:
22 * * *
23 (10) The Louisiana Music Trail Commission (R.S. 56:1950.23).
* * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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