A. The Louisiana Advisory Committee on Populations and Geographic Regions With Excessive Cancer Rates is hereby created and shall be composed of the following members:

            (1) One member appointed by the Gulf South Tenants Association from the membership of the Louisiana chapter.

            (2) One member appointed by the Louisiana Medical Association from its membership.

            (3) One member appointed by the Louisiana Association of Black Social Workers from its membership.

            (4) Four persons appointed by the governor from the state at large who have demonstrated an interest in efforts to combat and reduce the cancer rate in populations and regions with excessive cancer rates, subject to Senate confirmation.

            (5) One member of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House.

            (6) One member of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate.

            B. Members shall serve four-year terms, except that of the initial members, three members shall be appointed for four-year terms, two members shall be appointed for three-year terms, two members shall be appointed for two-year terms, and two members shall be appointed for a one-year term. Terms of office of the initial members shall be determined by lot at the initial meeting. Each nonlegislative member shall serve without compensation. Each legislative member shall receive per diem and be reimbursed for expenses as provided by the rules of the appropriate house. A vacancy in an unexpired term shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment.

            C. A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business.

            D. The members of the committee shall elect from their membership a chairman and a vice chairman.

            E. The members shall be appointed and the initial meeting shall be held, on the call of the committee member appointed from the House of Representatives, not later than October 1, 1990.

            F.(1) The committee shall review and study the current health status of populations and residents of regions with excessive cancer rates, review the ability of such persons to gain access to and utilize the health care system for cancer treatment, advise and consult with the tumor registry in its efforts to gather data relative to and to assess factors contributing to disparities in the health status of such populations and residents and other persons relative to cancer, review existing research and service programs relative to cancer among Louisiana residents, recommend strategies to redirect federal, state, local, and private resources and programs to narrow the health differences between select populations and residents of certain regions as related to cancer, suggest strategies by which the public and private sectors can cooperate to bring about improvements in health status of Louisiana residents relative to cancer, and encourage expanded participation in the tumor registry, cancer programs, and cancer research.

            (2) The committee may accept federal funds and funds from any private agency to assist in carrying out the purposes of this Section.

            (3) The committee shall make recommendations to and advise the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and other appropriate department agencies and officers with respect to the findings and recommendations of its studies as provided in this Subsection.

            (4) The committee shall seek comment and review of its conclusions and findings from appropriate scientific, medical, or health panels established by local chapters or affiliates of national groups that may include but should not be limited to the following: The Louisiana State Medical Society, the Louisiana Cancer Consortium, Louisiana Cancer and Lung Trust Fund Board, National Cancer Institute, American College of Epidemiology, U. S. Public Health Service, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, American Cancer Society, etc. Final recommendations will be sent to the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and other appropriate department agencies and officers as provided in this Subsection.

            (5) This committee shall not undertake to create new information or add original research to the existing literature for this topic. Rather, the committee using all currently available existing information systems, data bases, published and unpublished reports, manuscripts, papers, and other documents shall make its nonbinding recommendations on the basis of such previously existing information.

            Acts 1990, No. 815, §2; Acts 1999, No. 802, §5, eff. July 2, 1999; Redesignated from La. Rev. Stat. 40:1299.90.1 by HCR 84 of 2015 R.S.