§185.4. Agricultural Education Commission

            A. The Agricultural Education Commission is hereby created in the Department of Education for the purpose of providing guidance and advice to the state superintendent of education and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education regarding agricultural education programs and activities in elementary and secondary schools.

            B. The commission shall be composed of the following members:

            (1) The state superintendent of education, or his designee.

            (2) The commissioner of higher education, or his designee.

            (3) The president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, or his designee.

            (4) The vice president for agriculture for the Louisiana State University System, or his designee.

            (5) The chancellor of the Southern University Agricultural Center, or his designee.

            (6) The director of the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service, or his designee.

            (7) The commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, or his designee.

            (8) The president of the Louisiana Agriscience Teachers Association, or his designee.

            (9) The president of the Louisiana FFA.

            (10) The chairman of the board of trustees for the Louisiana 4-H Foundation, or his designee.

            (11) The state executive director of the Louisiana FFA, or his designee.

            (12) The president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, or his designee.

            (13) The secretary of Louisiana Economic Development, or his designee.

            (14) The secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, or his designee.

            (15) The president of the Louisiana Association for Business and Industry, or his designee.

            (16) The president of the Louisiana Association of Educators, or his designee.

            (17) The president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, or his designee.

            C. Members of the commission shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority and vacancies shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment.

            D. Members shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for expenses as provided by the appointing authority.

            E.(1) The state superintendent of education shall call the first meeting of the commission no later than September 1, 2014, and a chairman shall be elected from among the membership at such meeting.

            (2) The commission shall meet upon the call of the chairman, but not less than once quarterly.

            (3) The Department of Education shall provide staff support to assist the commission in performing its duties and responsibilities.

            F. The commission shall:

            (1) Assist the state superintendent of education in the ongoing evaluation of agricultural education programs in elementary and secondary schools.

            (2) Review the state action plan for agricultural education and make recommendations to the state board regarding changes in policy or curricula deemed necessary to ensure that the state's agricultural education programs and initiatives are responsive to the needs of students and the agricultural community.

            (3) Continually review the state's agricultural education delivery system and provide advice and guidance to the state superintendent of education regarding content standards and curricula, development of agriculture-related industry-based certifications, professional development opportunities for agricultural educators, and other strategies designed to promote agricultural literacy and student awareness of the wide array of educational and career opportunities in agriculture-related fields.

            (4) Assist in the development of partnerships and alliances with agriculture-related industries and other stakeholders.

            (5) Provide advice and support in the development and creation of agriculture immersion programs in elementary and secondary schools that allow students to develop an understanding of the importance of agriculture and agriculture-related fields and occupations to the state, the nation, and the world.

            Acts 2001, No. 339, §1, eff. June 7, 2001; Acts 2014, No. 450, §1, eff. June 4, 2014.