Provides for matters related to brick manufacturing (EG SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

House Bill 672 enacts Part VI of Chapter 3 of Title 51 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes by creating the Bolstering Brick Manufacturing in Louisiana Act, comprised of sections 971 and 972. Section 971 establishes legislative findings that brick manufacturing historically supported Louisiana's economy but the state currently ranks thirty-third nationally in clay brick production despite possessing substantial competitive advantages including clay deposits, favorable natural gas pricing, superior port and rail infrastructure, and an experienced manufacturing workforce. The section declares the purpose of the Act is to bolster brick manufacturing facility establishment by reducing regulatory barriers, lowering entry costs, and providing targeted support to qualifying enterprises. Section 972 directs the Louisiana Economic Development office to establish brick manufacturing as a priority industry and to promulgate rules and regulations within the Administrative Procedure Act framework that address site identification for pre-certification based on characteristics such as proximity to clay deposits, specialized workforce development and training initiatives, job creation and hiring initiatives, clear regulatory pathways for facility establishment, prioritized access to state rail lines and port facilities, and any other related economic development initiatives supporting brick manufacturing.

The legislation directly affects brick manufacturing enterprises seeking to establish operations in Louisiana by creating a structured framework through which they may access state economic development support. Louisiana Economic Development will be responsible for promulgating the implementing regulations and administering the priority industry designation, which will require the agency to identify and pre-certify suitable sites, coordinate with workforce development entities to establish training programs, facilitate regulatory streamlining, and allocate preferential access to transportation infrastructure. The practical impact extends to prospective manufacturers evaluating location decisions, current workforce development providers who may partner in training initiatives, port and rail facility operators who will prioritize brick manufacturing users, and local governments hosting brick manufacturing operations who may benefit from job creation and capital investment.

The legislation operates within the existing structure of Title 51 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, which governs economic development in the state. The requirement that Louisiana Economic Development promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act means the implementation process must follow the notice, hearing, and publication procedures established in that procedural framework. The designation of brick manufacturing as a priority industry integrates this sector into Louisiana's existing economic development infrastructure and may interact with other priority industry designations and incentive programs already established under Title 51, though no specific statutory conflicts appear inherent in the bill's language.