PETROLEUM/OIL-GAS: Provides relative to the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Commission
Summary
HB 707 revises Louisiana law governing the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Commission and its market-development advisory structure. The bill keeps the existing assessment on certain LPG permit holders dedicated to market development and promotion of liquefied petroleum gas, but expands and clarifies how those funds may be used. It expressly authorizes marketing efforts such as advertising across traditional and digital media, trade show participation, sponsorships, consumer rebate programs for propane appliances, and other programs recommended by the advisory board. It also allows the commission to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Department of Agriculture and Forestry to support those promotional activities.
The bill also restructures the advisory board that advises the commission on spending assessment proceeds. It specifies board membership by commission inspector area and at-large appointments, requires representation from permit holders or industry workers, limits the board to no more than nine members, and sets terms to run with the governor’s term. The measure further provides that advisory board meetings must comply with the Open Meetings Law, may be held in person or electronically, and may use proxies for quorum purposes when members give advance written notice.
Impact
HB 707 amends R.S. 40:1851(E)(1) and (F), affecting the statutory framework for the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Commission’s assessment-funded market development program and the composition and procedures of its advisory board. It broadens the commission’s authority to spend assessment revenues on promotional and consumer-incentive activities and adds an explicit interagency cooperation mechanism with the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. It also changes board membership, meeting, and quorum rules for the advisory body that oversees these funds, which directly affects LPG permit holders, industry participants, and the commission’s administrative operations.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House unanimously, 93-0, and ultimately became law without the Governor’s signature as Act 949. The absence of recorded committee opposition or debate in the provided materials suggests general agreement on the need to modernize the commission’s marketing authority and board procedures.
Contention
No significant opposition is reflected in the available record. The main policy choices in the bill are administrative rather than ideological: who may serve on the advisory board, how many members it may have, and whether assessment funds may be used for broader marketing and rebate programs. Any potential concern would likely center on the use of industry assessment revenues for promotional activities, the inclusion of proxies and electronic meetings for quorum purposes, and the balance of representation among permit classes and geographic areas, but no specific objections are documented here.