CHAPTER 3. DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

§101. Department of Economic Development; creation; domicile; composition; purposes and functions

A. The Department of Economic Development is created and shall be a body corporate with the power to sue and be sued. The domicile of the department shall be in Baton Rouge.

B. The Department of Economic Development, through its offices and officers, shall be responsible for fostering the growth of industry and other commercial enterprises in Louisiana that will contribute to the overall improvement of the economy of the state. The department shall promote the advantages of Louisiana to out-of-state business and industry, facilitate the expansion of existing enterprises, and coordinate with other state agencies and units of local government plans and programs aimed at developing optimum conditions for new and expanding industrial and commercial enterprises in Louisiana.

C.(1) The Department of Economic Development shall be composed of the executive office of the secretary, the office of management and finance, the office of business development, and such other offices as shall be created by law.

(2) Whenever the secretary determines that the administration of the functions of the department may be more efficiently performed by eliminating, merging, or consolidating existing offices or establishing new offices, he shall present a plan therefor to the legislature for its approval by statute.

(3)(a) However, the department shall be prohibited from employing, appointing, or assigning any of the following persons to positions within the department for a period of two years following the termination of their public service as any of the following:

(i) An elected official who was serving in such capacity as of March 26, 2001.

(ii) An appointee or employee of the executive branch of state government who was subject to Senate confirmation and who was appointed or employed as of March 26, 2001. However, officers and employees of the Department of Economic Development and the office of film and video within the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism shall be exempted from this Subparagraph.

(iii) An officer, appointee, or employee of the office of the governor as of March 26, 2001.

(b) The department shall also be prohibited from contracting with any of the persons described in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph for a period of two years following the termination of their public service in the capacities described in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph.

Acts 1976, No. 513, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 83, §1, eff. June 22, 1977; Acts 1984, No. 633, §1; Acts 1984, No. 455, §1, eff. Oct. 1, 1984; Acts 1985, No. 520, §1; Acts 1987, No. 736, §1; Acts 1988, No. 563, §1, eff. July 14, 1988; Acts 1991, No. 490, §1, eff. July 15, 1991; Acts 2001, No. 8, §11, eff. July 1, 2001; Acts 2001, No. 9, §4, eff. July 1, 2001; Acts 2010, No. 743, §1B, eff. July 1, 2010.

NOTE: See Acts 1987, No. 736, §3.

NOTE: See Acts 1988, No. 563, §2.

NOTE: See Acts 2001, No. 8, §19, relative to precedence of certain provisions of Acts 2001, No. 9, over provisions of Act 8.