§1604. Preference for all types of products produced, manufactured, assembled, grown, or harvested in Louisiana; exceptions

A. As used in this Section, the following terms shall have the following meanings ascribed to them:

(1) "Meat" and "meat product" means beef, veal, pork, mutton, poultry, and other meats, and products made from those meats.

(2) "Other products" includes "other meat", "other meat products", "other seafood", and "other seafood products" and means products which are produced, manufactured, grown, processed, and harvested outside the state.

(3) "Seafood" means crawfish, catfish, other fish, shrimp, oysters, crabs, underutilized species, and other seafood and freshwater food.

(4) "Processed" means the alteration of any raw product altered from its original state to enhance its value or render it suitable for further refinement or marketing.

B. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, each procurement officer, purchasing agent, or similar official who procures or purchases agricultural or forestry products, including meat, seafood, produce, eggs, paper or paper products under the provisions of this Chapter shall procure or purchase Louisiana products provided all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The bidder certifies in the bid submitted that the product meets the criteria of a Louisiana product.

(2) The product is equal to or better than equal in quality to other products.

(3) The cost of the Louisiana product shall not exceed the cost of other products by more than ten percent, except as otherwise provided in this Chapter as a specific exception.

C. In order to qualify as Louisiana products for the purpose of this Section, the following products shall meet the following requirements:

(1) Produce shall be produced in Louisiana and produce products shall be produced and processed in Louisiana.

(2) Eggs shall be laid in Louisiana and egg products shall be processed from eggs laid in Louisiana.

(3) Meat and meat products shall be processed in Louisiana from animals that originated in Louisiana, as evidenced by traceability documentation supplied by the manufacturer.

(4)(a) Seafood shall be:

(i) Harvested in Louisiana seas or other Louisiana waters.

(ii) Harvested by a person who holds a valid appropriate commercial fishing license issued under R.S. 56:1 et seq.

(b) Products produced from such seafood shall be processed in Louisiana.

(5) Domesticated catfish shall be processed in Louisiana from animals which were grown in Louisiana.

(6) Paper and paper products shall be manufactured or converted in Louisiana. For the purposes of this Paragraph, "manufactured" shall mean the process of making a product suitable for use from raw materials by hand or by machinery, and "converted" shall mean the process of converting roll stock into a sheeted and fully packaged product in a full-time converting operation. For paper supplied in wrapped reams, each carton and each individual ream shall be clearly labeled with the name of the manufacturer or converter and the location within Louisiana where such paper is manufactured or converted. For paper and paper products supplied in bulk or in other forms, the smallest unit of packaging shall be clearly labeled with the name of the manufacturer or converter and the location within Louisiana where such paper or paper product is manufactured or converted.

(7) All other agricultural or forestry products shall be produced, manufactured, or processed in Louisiana.

D. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, each procurement officer, purchasing agent, or similar official who procures or purchases products under the provisions of this Chapter shall procure or purchase meat and meat products which are further processed in Louisiana under the grading and certification service of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and which are equal in quality to other meat and meat products, provided the cost of the further processed meat and meat products does not exceed the cost of other meat or meat products by more than seven percent.

E. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, each procurement officer, purchasing agent, or similar official who procures or purchases products under the provisions of this Part shall procure or purchase domesticated or wild catfish which are processed in Louisiana but grown outside of Louisiana and which are equal in quality to domesticated or wild catfish which are processed outside of Louisiana provided the cost of the domesticated or wild catfish which are processed in Louisiana does not exceed the cost of the domesticated or wild catfish which are processed outside of Louisiana by more than seven percent.

F. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, each procurement officer, purchasing agent, or similar official who procures or purchases products under the provisions of this Part shall procure or purchase produce processed in Louisiana but grown outside of Louisiana and which is equal in quality to produce processed and grown outside of Louisiana, provided the cost of the produce processed in Louisiana does not exceed the cost of the produce processed outside of Louisiana by more than seven percent.

G. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, each procurement officer, purchasing agent, or similar official who procures or purchases products under the provisions of this Chapter shall procure or purchase eggs or crawfish which are further processed in Louisiana under the grading service of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and which are equal in quality to other eggs or crawfish, provided the cost of the further processed eggs or crawfish does not exceed the cost of other eggs or crawfish by more than seven percent.

H. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, each procurement officer, purchasing agent, or similar official who procures or purchases materials, supplies, products, provisions, or equipment under the provisions of this Chapter may purchase such materials, supplies, products, provisions, or equipment which are produced, manufactured, or assembled in Louisiana, as defined in R.S. 38:2251(A), and which are equal in quality to other materials, supplies, products, provisions, or equipment, provided that all of the following conditions are met:

(1) The cost of such items does not exceed the cost of other items which are manufactured, processed, produced, or assembled outside the state by more than ten percent.

(2) The vendor of such Louisiana items agrees to sell the items at the same price as the lowest bid offered on such items.

(3) In cases where more than one bidder offers Louisiana items which are within ten percent of the lowest bid, the bidder offering the lowest bid on Louisiana items is entitled to accept the price of the lowest bid made on such items.

I. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, such preferences shall apply only to bidders whose Louisiana business workforce is comprised of a minimum of fifty percent Louisiana residents.

J. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, the preference provided in Subsection H of this Section shall not apply to Louisiana products whose source is a clay which is mined or originates in Louisiana, and which is manufactured, processed or refined in Louisiana for sale as an expanded clay aggregate form different than its original state. No provision of this Subsection shall affect the preferences applicable to brick manufacturers.

K. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to treated wood poles and piling.

Added by Acts 1981, No. 157, §2; Acts 1981, No. 851, §2; Acts 1985, No. 693, §1; Acts 1985, No. 880, §3, eff. July 23, 1985; Acts 1987, No. 778, §2; Acts 1990, No. 449, §2, eff. July 18, 1990; Acts 1993, No. 1032, §2, eff. July 1, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 1312, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1284, §2; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 123, §§2, 4, eff. July 1, 2000; Acts 2001, No. 644, §2; Acts 2001, No. 693, §2, eff. July 1, 2001; Acts 2003, No. 744, §2, eff. June 27, 2003; Acts 2003, No. 1175, §2, eff. July 3, 2003; Acts 2014, No. 575, §2, eff. June 9, 2014; Acts 2014, No. 864, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 2015.