Strain Has Varied and Busy Legislative Session

By Don Molino, The Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network

During his report on the Voice of Louisiana Agriculture Radio Network, Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Dr. Mike Strain touched on a few of the bills his office is working on during the current legislative session.

House Bill 232, for example, would clarify the law regarding the mislabeling of fresh fruits and vegetables. House Bill 251 sets the time the state has to hold animals after an emergency when the animals are abandoned and the owner cannot be located.

“Another bill changes the number of members of the board of the Sweet Potato Commission,” said Strain. 

There is also legislation pending that affects the recertification and licensing of agriculture consultants, “going from four hours of college credit in certain disciplines to three hours simply because the majority of universities no longer offer those four hour courses,” Strain said.  The total amount of education remains the same, however.

And House Bill 593 updates the current laws affecting Louisiana turtle farmers so they can compete with other states in the export market and have the same protocols as turtle farmers in other states.