SEAFOOD: Provides for membership of the Oyster Task Force

Agriculture

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Mike Bayham
Last action: 2026-05-11
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 82
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on how decisions are made or what advice will be given.

Oyster Task Force Membership

This act changes the membership rules for the Oyster Task Force and adds the Department of Agriculture and Forestry as a recipient of recommendations about oysters.

What This Bill Does

Changes how members are chosen for the Oyster Task Force by adding two new members from the United Commercial Fisherman's Association, one who must live in St. Bernard Parish.
Includes the Department of Agriculture and Forestry as an entity that receives recommendations from the task force relative to the oyster industry.

Who It Names or Affects

Members of the Oyster Task Force
The Department of Agriculture and Forestry

Terms To Know

Oyster Task Force: A group that gives advice about oysters to different state agencies.
United Commercial Fisherman's Association: An organization representing commercial fishermen, including those who catch oysters.

Limits and Unknowns

The act does not explain how the task force will make decisions or what specific advice they will give.
It is unclear if this change will improve the oyster industry in Louisiana.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

House Committee Amendment #2414 NATR Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB653 4563 2414 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment to Original House Bill No.

HCAHB653 4563 2414 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment to Original House Bill No.
653 by Representative Bayham 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, line 2, after "reenact" delete the remainder of the line and at the beginning of line 3 3, delete "56:421(B)(16)" and insert "R.S.
56:421(B)(10) and (E)(4)" and after "Force;" 4 delete the remainder of the line 5 AMENDMENT NO.

House Committee Amendment #2099 NATR Draft

Draft

Plain English: HCAHB653 3209 2099 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment to Original House Bill No.

HCAHB653 3209 2099 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment to Original House Bill No.
653 by Representative Bayham 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, line 2, after "reenact" delete the remainder of the line and at the beginning of line 3 3, delete "56:421(B)(16)" and insert "R.S.
56:421(B)(10) and (E)(4)" and after "Force;" 4 delete the remainder of the line 5 AMENDMENT NO.

Bill History

2026-05-11 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-11 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 82.
2026-05-07 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-07 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-06 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-06 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-05 S
Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-04-21 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-04-20 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-04-15 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-01 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.
2026-03-31 S
Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-03-31 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 5. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-03-30 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/31/2026.
2026-03-26 H
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-25 H
Reported with amendments (15-0-1).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-27 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
2026-02-27 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

SEAFOOD: Provides for membership of the Oyster Task Force

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 822026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 653
BY REPRESENTATIVE BAYHAM
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 56:421(B)(10) and (E)(4), relative to the Oyster Task Force; to
3 provide for the membership of the task force; to add the Department of Agriculture
4 and Forestry as an entity that receives recommendations from the task force relative
5 to the oyster industry; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 56:421(B)(10) and (E)(4) are hereby amended and reenacted to read
8 as follows:
9 §421. Oyster Task Force
10 * * *
11 B. The task force shall be composed as follows:
12 * * *
13 (10) Two members appointed by the United Commercial Fisherman's
14 Association, one of whom shall be a resident of St. Bernard Parish.
15 * * *
16 E. The task force is hereby charged with the responsibility to do the
17 following:
18 * * *
19 (4) Make recommendations with respect to issues pertaining to the oyster
20 industry and oyster production to the various state agencies charged with
21 responsibility for differing elements of the oyster industry in this state, including the
22 Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry,
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 653 ENROLLED
1 the Department of Conservation and Energy, the Coastal Protection and Restoration
2 Authority Board, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the Louisiana
3 Department of Health, the governor's executive assistant for coastal activities, and
4 the legislature.
5 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.