NOTE: §633 eff. until July 1, 2020. See Acts 2018, No. 612.

§633. Reptile and Amphibian Research Fund

A. In order to insure that the necessary and proper funds are available to qualified and legitimate herpetologists, there is hereby established the Reptile and Amphibian Research Fund in the state treasury.

B. Funds received by the Reptile and Amphibian Research Fund in the form of fees shall be deposited immediately upon receipt into the state treasury.

C. After compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund, and prior to monies being placed in the state general fund, an amount equal to that deposited as required by Subsection B of this Section shall be credited to a special fund hereby created in the state treasury to be known as the "Reptile and Amphibian Research Fund". The monies in this fund shall be used solely as provided by Subsection D of this Section and only in the amounts appropriated by the legislature. All unexpended and unencumbered monies in this fund at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in such fund. The monies in this fund shall be invested by the state treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state general fund, and interest earned on the investment of these monies shall be credited to this fund, again, following compliance with the requirement of Article VII, Section 9(B) of the Constitution of Louisiana relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund.

D. The monies in the Reptile and Amphibian Research Fund shall be used solely for administration of this Subpart and legitimate herpetological research. Such grants shall be made in accordance with the rules and regulations adopted by the commission pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act.

E. The Reptile and Amphibian Research Fund shall be funded by the assessment of a one percent fee on the gross out-of-state sales of native reptiles and amphibians. The one percent fee on the gross out-of-state sales of native reptiles or amphibians shall be payable to the department on or before the tenth day of the month following the date of sale and shall be due each quarter beginning July 1, 1995. Upon failure to pay the assessment when due, a penalty of ten percent of the assessment due per quarter shall be levied and collected by the department in addition to the one percent assessment due. Any quarterly report submitted with false information or nonpayment of the one percent assessment for two consecutive quarters will be cause for license revocation or suspension.

F. The expenditure of funds from the Reptile and Amphibian Research Fund shall be made at the discretion of the department.

NOTE: §633 repealed by Acts 2018, No. 612, §22, eff. July 1, 2020.

§633. Repealed by Acts 2018, No. 612, §22, eff. July 1, 2020.

Acts 1992, No. 256, §1, eff. July 1, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 604, §1; Acts 2013, No. 184, §14(A); Acts 2014, No. 791, §19; Acts 2018, No. 612, §22, eff. July 1, 2020.