§3135.  Louisiana Board of International Commerce

A.  The Louisiana Board of International Commerce is hereby created within the office of international commerce of the Department of Economic Development.  The board shall be domiciled in East Baton Rouge Parish.

B.  The board shall exercise, subject to the provisions of this Chapter, the following duties:

(1)  Develop, coordinate, implement, make reports on, manage, and provide oversight of the Master Plan of International Commerce and prepare annual reports to the legislature.  The master plan shall position Louisiana as a leader in international commerce and trade and shall include a comprehensive strategy addressing all matters of international commerce and trade for the state of Louisiana.  An annual report shall monitor the progress of the implementation of the master plan and shall be submitted to the legislature for approval as set forth in R.S. 51:3137.

(2)  Develop and execute a strategy to coordinate planning, marketing, and resources between all private or nongovernmental organizations, private business interests, international ports, the department, other departments of state government, including the Department of Transportation and Development, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and any other federal or state governmental agency involved in international commerce.

(3)  Establish criteria for projects to be included in the master plan and use these criteria to evaluate and approve projects for inclusion in the master plan that are submitted by the organizations, entities, or persons provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection.

(4)  Include in the master plan projects approved by the board.

(5)  Include in the annual report a detailed description of each project included in the master plan, and the current status of approved projects.

(6)  Create a mechanism to establish priorities of the approved projects and establish a procedure for the use of the priority system to control the order in which projects included in the master plan are executed.

(7)  Coordinate and assist the organizations, entities, or persons described in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection in its development and execution of projects that are approved by the board as being consistent with the comprehensive strategy of the master plan and in the priority order established by the board.  Such assistance by the board shall include but not be limited to coordination between governmental and nongovernmental organizations as well as assistance with the identification of capital resources for the use of organizations that develop projects.

(8) Monitor implementation of a state strategy to attract foreign direct investment and to attract international corporate business to Louisiana.

(9)  Identify, solicit, and recommend to the secretary, partnerships, joint ventures, memoranda of understanding, cooperative endeavors, or other similar relationships with local, state, or federal public entities, foreign governments, nongovernmental organizations, or private entities and business interests to implement the master plan.  Such public entities shall include but are not limited to the following: the Department of Transportation and Development, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

(10)  Identify, accept, obtain or assist in obtaining, foreign, federal, state, and private funds consistent with the provisions of this Chapter.  Such funds shall include funds from matching sources, gifts, grants, and donations.

(11)  Develop and implement methods to self-generate funds.  Such funds obtained consistent with the provisions of this Chapter shall be used solely for the operations of the office and execution of projects included in the master plan.

(12)  Identify funding sources for infrastructure that is required to support projects or existing facilities and assist organizations, entities, or persons provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection to enter into business relationships, such as public-private partnerships, to secure funding for such infrastructure.

(13)  Conduct meetings and hold hearings.

(14)  Adopt rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act consistent with the provisions of this Chapter.

(15)  As determined by the board, the chairman shall appoint advisory subcommittees to review, evaluate, and report to the board on projects proposed for inclusion in the master plan or for other purposes as approved by the board.  In accordance with the scope of the subcommittee's work, the subcommittee may include non-board personnel.  Such personnel shall not be compensated by the board.  The board may request the secretary to engage experts to assist the board in performing its functions and duties.  Every effort shall be made to utilize the staff of the office, department, international ports, nongovernmental organizations, or state universities prior to the engagement of outside experts.

(16)  Establish a recommended annual budget for the operation of the office and submit such recommended budget to the secretary for inclusion in the department's annual budget.  Funding of the office for the first year of operation shall be derived from existing department resources and funds.  Details of the office's revenues and expenses, including its recommended annual budget, shall be included in the annual report.

(17)  Expend funds consistent with the provisions of this Chapter.

(18)  Recommend that the secretary enter into agreements, memoranda of understanding, and cooperative endeavors with foreign governments, private entities, nongovernmental organizations, and local, state, and federal public entities that are consistent with the provisions of this Chapter.

(19)  Provide recommendations to the legislature with respect to the implementation, management, and funding of the office.

(20)  Present recommendations to the House Committee on Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs by February first of each year for proposed legislation consistent with the comprehensive strategy of the master plan and the provisions of this Chapter.

(21)  Advise the secretary on any matter regarding the office.

Acts 2012, No. 687, §2, eff. June 7, 2012.