Bill to add oyster, crab and finfish seats to seafood safety task force reported favorably

Representative Jessica Domaine asked the committee to add three industry seats to the Louisiana Seafood Safety Task Force, saying the change would include representatives of the oyster, crab and finfish industries. "We are just adding members to the Seafood Safety Task Force and it's a member from the oyster industry, a member from the crab industry, and a member of the finfish industry," she told the committee.

Commissioner Strain, who the bill says the task force advises, told senators the panel is advisory and the additions will let affected industries weigh in on testing and promotion. "The purpose of this bill is to add more of the industries that will have the oversight to advise us on the promotion, but also on the test of what we need to do," he said.

Senators asked whether expanding membership to 18 would create quorum problems; the commissioner said it is an advisory body and he did not anticipate quorum issues. Senator Long moved to report the bill favorably; the committee had no recorded objections and HB 588 was reported favorably.

The bill as described in committee would change task force membership only; it does not alter regulatory authority or testing standards. The committee did not take further substantive amendments; the next procedural step is the bill's transmittal as reported by the committee.