A.  The Coastal Port Advisory Authority is hereby created in the office of multimodal planning within the Department of Transportation and Development.

B.  The authority shall perform its duties and functions through a board composed of the following members:

(1)  One member appointed at large by the governor who shall serve as chairman of the authority and have knowledge of the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

(2)  The governor’s executive assistant for coastal activities or his designee.

(3)  The secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development or his designee.

(4)  The secretary of the Department of Economic Development or his designee.

(5)  The secretary of the Department of Natural Resources or his designee.

(6)  A representative of the Ports Association of Louisiana selected by its chairman of the board of directors.

(7)  One member from each of Louisiana’s coastal ports appointed by each port’s executive director.

(8)  One member from each of Louisiana’s deep draft ports appointed by each port’s executive director.

C.  The members shall select a vice chairman to serve in the absence of the chairman.  The marine and rail transportation administrator within the office of multimodal planning, Department of Transportation and Development, shall serve as secretary of the authority and shall not vote.

D.(1)  The authority shall be advisory in nature.

(2)(a)  The authority shall research and study economic development opportunities available to the state’s maritime industries and the needs of the oil and gas industry relative to coastal and deep draft ports. The authority shall inventory and evaluate the resources and infrastructure of coastal and deep draft ports, including existing and future resource and infrastructure needs in order to attract business and increase future market shares, identify technical research and previously developed information on markets available to coastal and deep draft ports, study coastal and deep draft port capacities and utilization, identify potential future deficit areas, and investigate incentives for coastal and deep draft port development.

(b)  The authority shall not be eligible to apply for or receive funding from the Port Construction and Development Priority Program as provided in La. Rev. Stat. 34:3451 et seq.

(c)  The authority shall be prohibited from advising on any matter related to the Port Construction and Development Priority Program.

(3)  Not later than May 1, 2015, and not later than May first annually thereafter, the authority shall report the progress of its activities to the House and Senate Committees on Transportation, Highways, and Public Works.

(4)  The authority may call upon the expertise of others with knowledge of Gulf of Mexico deep water exploration and production, including but not limited to the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, the American Petroleum Institute, the National Ocean Industries Association, the Gulf Economic Survival Team, chambers of commerce, Louisiana universities, fabrication companies, the Louisiana Association of Waterway Operators and Shipyards, the Louisiana River Pilots’ Association, and port organizations.

(5)  Executive agencies and departments of the state represented on the authority may enter into interagency agreements to share costs necessary to perform authority duties, functions, and responsibilities.

E.(1)  A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. A quorum being present, the favorable vote of at least a simple majority of the total membership present shall be required for the authority to take action on any matter.

(2)  The board shall meet at least once per year, or more frequently as necessary, upon call of the chairman.

(3)  Members of the authority shall not receive a salary or reimbursement for mileage or expenses incurred for attendance at authority meetings from the authority.

F.  The provisions of this Chapter shall terminate on June 30, 2018.

Acts 2013, No. 180, §1.