A.  No municipality, parish, local governmental entity or governing authority of any group or association, private or public, having jurisdiction over a specific geographic area shall enact ordinances, laws, subdivision restrictions or regulations establishing standards applicable to the care and well-being of bovine, equine, ovine, caprine, porcine, and poultry bred, kept, maintained, raised, or used for show, profit, or for the purpose of selling or otherwise producing crops, animals, or plant or animal products for market, except as provided in this Section.

B.  Municipalities, parishes, and local governmental entities or governing authorities of any group or association may request that the rules and regulations establishing standards applicable to the care and well-being of bovine, equine, ovine, caprine, porcine, and poultry bred, kept, maintained, raised, or used for show, profit, or for the purpose of selling or otherwise producing crops, animals, or plant or animal products for market be amended to provide for specific problems encountered in or by the entity, group or association.  The following provisions shall govern any such request:

(1)  The request shall be addressed to the commissioner.

(2)  The Louisiana Board of Animal Health shall conduct a hearing.

(3)  The Louisiana Board of Animal Health shall make a preliminary determination as to the advisability of amending the state rules and regulations and shall transmit its determination to the commissioner.

(4)  The commissioner shall make the final determination as to the desirability of amending the state rules and regulations.

(5)  If the commissioner determines that the rules and regulations should be amended, a rule or regulation consistent with the commissioner’s determination shall be adopted by the commission in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.  If the commissioner determines that the rules or regulations should not be amended, a written notice of the decision shall be provided to the requesting party.

C. Municipalities, parishes, and local governmental entities may petition the commissioner for approval of an ordinance establishing standards applicable to the care and well-being of bovine, equine, ovine, caprine, porcine, and poultry bred, kept, maintained, raised, or used for show, profit, or for the purpose of selling or otherwise producing crops, animals, or plant or animal products for market.  The governing authority of a public or private group or association may petition the commissioner for approval of restrictions applicable to the specific geographic area over which the group or association has jurisdiction.  The procedure for obtaining such approval shall be as follows:

(1)  Any proposed ordinance or restriction shall be sent to the commissioner who shall refer the ordinance to the Louisiana Board of Animal Health for a hearing.

(2)  The Louisiana Board of Animal Health shall make a preliminary determination as to the advisability of amending the state rules and regulations and shall transmit its determination to the commissioner.

(3)  Upon receipt of the recommendation of the Louisiana Board of Animal Health, the commissioner shall approve or disapprove the proposed ordinance or restriction.

(4)  Both the Louisiana Board of Animal Health and the commissioner shall be guided by the provisions of this Section in making their respective determinations.

(5)  The requesting party shall be notified of the decision in writing.

(6)  Any governing authority aggrieved by a final decision of the commissioner shall have a right of judicial review of the administrative process pursuant to the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act.

D.  Municipalities, parishes, and local governmental entities or governing authorities of a public or private group or association, having in effect, on July 1, 2010, an ordinance or restriction establishing standards applicable to the care and well-being of bovine, equine, ovine, caprine, porcine, and poultry bred, kept, maintained, raised, or used for show, profit, or for the purpose of selling or otherwise producing crops, animals, or plant or animal products for market, shall submit the ordinance to the commissioner on or before December 1, 2010, for approval pursuant to this Section.  Any such ordinance or restriction received by the commissioner on or before December 1, 2010, shall continue in full force and effect unless the commissioner disapproves the ordinance or restriction in accordance with this Section.  Any such ordinance not received by the commissioner on or before December 1, 2010, shall be void.

E.  Nothing contained in this Section shall prohibit a municipality, parish, local governmental entity or governing authority of any group or association, private or public, having jurisdiction over a specific geographic area from enacting ordinances, laws, subdivision restrictions or regulations regarding possession of bovine, equine, ovine, caprine, porcine, or poultry.

Acts 2010, No. 113, §1, eff. June 8, 2010.