§112. Work Out Now: WON Louisiana Legislative Commission; established; membership; duties

A. The Work Out Now: WON Louisiana Legislative Commission is hereby established to work directly with local elected officials to bring the battle against obesity to the local level.

B. The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare shall serve as the chairman of the commission, which shall be comprised of the following members:

(1) The chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare.

(2) One member who serves on the Senate Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs, to be selected by the chairman.

(3) One member who serves on the Senate Committee on Education, to be selected by the chairman.

(4) One member who serves on the House Committee on Health and Welfare, to be selected by the chairman.

(5) One member who serves on the House Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs, to be selected by the chairman.

(6) One member who serves on the House Committee on Education, to be selected by the chairman.

C. The duties of the commission shall be to engage an effort at the local level to:

(1) Address key gaps in current obesity prevention by understanding what works in multi-system approaches to obesity, and how these approaches can be implemented through community-led change strategies.

(2) Align obesity prevention activities at the local level based on a local agenda.

(3) Engage community partners to disseminate and implement evidence-based obesity prevention strategies.

(4) Facilitate communication that unites Louisiana local elected officials with their local schools, businesses, organizations, and community members to demonstrate their collective commitment to fighting obesity.

(5) Bring awareness to resources that are already available to communities but underutilized, such as joint use agreements provided for in R.S. 9:2800.22.

(6) Facilitate information sharing and access to enable local elected officials to engage existing programs that promote physical activity.

(7) Foster a healthy competition with similar-size communities throughout Louisiana.

(8) Partner with private entities who support, promote, or administer obesity prevention programs that focus on physical activity and seek funds or donated prizes from those entities to reward community health effort winners.

(9) Dedicate the second Monday of the legislative session during any regular session of the Louisiana Legislature as "WON Louisiana Day" at the state capitol.

(10) Recognize local elected officials and their cities who are the most involved in getting their communities to be more physically active at an award ceremony at the Louisiana state capitol.

D. The commission may hold public hearings as part of carrying out its duties. The chairman may call a hearing at a time and location deemed appropriate to best engage with the local elected officials. Notice shall be issued to all legislators representing an area of the state in which the commission shall meet if the chairman calls a hearing in a location outside of the state capitol. No legislator shall receive per diem or mileage reimbursement for attending any commission meeting held when the legislature is not in session or for attending any commission meeting held at a location other than the state capitol.

Acts 2017, No. 187, §1, eff. June 12, 2017.

NOTE: Effective until July 1, 2020; see R.S. 24:114.