As used in this Title, the following terms have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

            (1) “Agency” means and includes the boards, commissions, departments, agencies, offices, officers, and other instrumentalities, or any or all of these, within the executive branch of state government which are abolished by this Title or which are transferred and placed within departments of the state government created and established or continued by this Title or transferred to and placed within the office of the governor as provided by this Title.

            (2) “Assistant secretary” means the officer designated by law or by the secretary of each department to carry out the duties and functions of an office within certain departments, except an office of management and finance and the office of state police of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections.

            (3) “Department” means a department of the executive branch of state government created or continued in this Title in accordance with the constitutional mandate contained in Article IV, Section 1 and in La. Const. Art. XIV, § 6 and shall include the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

            (4) “Deputy secretary” means the officer authorized to be appointed by the secretary to serve as his principal administrative assistant. For the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, the “deputy secretary for public safety services” and the “deputy secretary for corrections services” shall be the officers of the department appointed by the secretary to serve as the principal administrative assistants of the secretary and references in any provision of law to the deputy secretary, where reference is to a deputy secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, shall include these two officers.

            (5) “Office” means each principal operational unit within a department, except the executive office of the secretary. It shall not include the office of the governor and the office of lieutenant governor.

            (6) “Secretary” means the officer appointed by the governor as the executive head and chief administrative officer of certain departments created and provided for by this Title.

            (7) “Undersecretary” means the officer designated to direct and be responsible for the functions of the office of management and finance of certain departments. For the Department of Children and Family Services, “undersecretary” means the officer designated to direct and be responsible for the functions of the division of management and finance within the office of children and family services.

            Acts 1976, No. 513, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 83, §1, eff. June 22, 1977; Acts 1984, No. 326, §1, eff. July 2, 1984; Acts 1987, No. 736, §1; Acts 2008, No. 743, §3, eff. July 1, 2008; Acts 2009, No. 438, §15(A); Acts 2010, No. 877, §1, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2012, No. 811, §11, eff. July 1, 2012; Acts 2016, No. 90, §2, eff. July 1, 2016; Acts 2018, No. 380, §2, eff. June 30, 2018; Acts 2022, No. 623, §4, eff. July 1, 2022.