Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 7 - AGRICULTURE AND ANIMALS
Part XXIX - Horticulture Commission
Chapter 1 - Horticulture
Section XXIX-103 - Enforcement

1. Investigative hearings shall be for the purpose of investigating alleged violations of the Horticulture Law Law or regulations promulgated by the commission.

2. Investigative hearings may be held upon the call of the commission. Such hearings may be held in any part of the state.

3. The chairman, the secretary, a member designated by the chairman, or a hearing officer designated by the commission who need not be a member of the commission, shall preside at investigative hearings. All witnesses shall be sworn or shall make affirmation.

4. Investigative hearings conducted by the commission shall be open to the general public.

5. If the commission determines that evidence or testimony at an investigative hearing may tend to defame, degrade, or incriminate any person, it shall afford such person, upon request, an opportunity to appear as a witness; receive and dispose of requests from such persons to subpoena additional witnesses; and afford such person, or his attorney, upon request the opportunity to examine or cross-examine witnesses.

6. The director of the horticulture commission, upon approval of the chairman or secretary, is authorized to sign subpoenas which require the attendance and giving of testimony by persons who may possess any knowledge concerning any offense under investigation at an investigative hearing or for investigative purposes. The subpoena shall set forth reasonable grounds therefore, and shall order the person to appear at a designated time and place. The director may also order the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum as described above.

7. Whenever any person summoned under this regulation neglects or refuses to obey such summons or to produce books, papers, records or other data, or to give testimony as required, the commission may apply to the judge of the district court for the district within which the person so summoned resides or is found, for an attachment against him as for a contempt.

8. A subpoena may be served by any person authorized by law to serve civil process, or by any agents of the commission, and the return made in writing by any such person shall be accepted as proof of service.

9. The commission is the sole judge of the pertinency of testimony and evidence adduced at such hearings.

10. The attorney for the commission and that of any public agency which may be participating in the investigation shall have the right to be present at all hearings and shall have the right to examine or cross-examine any witness.

11. Witnesses at investigative hearings may be accompanied by their own counsel.

12. A copy of this regulation shall be made available to any witness and a copy shall be delivered at the time of making service, to each person upon whom a subpoena is served; in addition thereto each person upon whom a subpoena is served shall be informed in writing that the commission suggests that he consult his attorney and that his attorney should attend the hearing to advise him.

13. The commission may, in its discretion, issue a report upon the conclusion of any such investigative hearing.

14. As a result of such investigations, the commission may initiate adjudicatory proceedings against licensees, permittee, or persons engaged in any regulated profession or occupation, may refer matters to other public agencies and may take any other appropriate action.

15. Investigative hearings may be conducted jointly with other interested public agencies.

16. It shall not be necessary to publish any advance notice of any investigative hearing and it shall be necessary that subpoenas disclose the general nature of the investigation.

17. At all investigative hearings the testimony shall be recorded stenographically or otherwise. Upon payment of the costs thereof, and when authorized by the commission, a witness may obtain a transcript copy of his testimony given at a public session.

1. Any authorized representative of the commission or of the commissioner shall have access to, and may enter at all reasonable hours, all places of business operated by license or permit holders or persons engaged in any regulated profession or occupation to perform horticultural inspections and/or investigations. Any information gained through utilization of the authority granted hereinabove in this Subsection shall be treated as confidential and shall be used only for the administration of this Chapter, provided, that such information may be divulged by a person when called upon to testify in any adjudicatory proceeding before the commission or the commissioner or in any court proceedings, and provided further, that nothing contained in this Section shall prevent the use of any information procured by the commission or the commissioner in the compiling and dissemination of general statistical data containing information procured from a number of licensees or permittee and compiled in such a manner as not to reveal individual information of any licensee or permittee.