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Committee approves fee changes for Department of Health, adds fees for therapeutic marijuana retailers
Summary
Members adopted amendments setting vendor and export-certificate fees, establishing fees related to medical marijuana retail permits and other LDH permitting and plan-review fees; department officials said the amendments align fees with program costs.
The House Committee on Health and Welfare adopted amendments May 14 to HB 661 and related language to update fees collected by the Louisiana Department of Health, including establishing fees tied to therapeutic marijuana retail permits and other public-health services.
Chairman Miller described the package as a fee bill to modernize outdated charges and help Office of Public Health programs become more self-sustaining. LDH witness Tanya Joyner said several fees have not been updated for years and the department seeks “self-generated fees so that the programs within this office can fund themselves.” The department estimate for the new medical-marijuana retail permit fee would generate about $225,000 under the fee levels discussed, Dr. Pete Krogan testified, but he warned that the level would not support a fully staffed program without additional resources.
The amendment set added an export and free-sale certificate fee (estimated to generate roughly $45,000 to cover printing, notarization and staff time), vendor fees at events, sewage fees and plan-review fees for facility projects. The committee adopted an amendment establishing a fee for licensed retail permit holders authorized to sell therapeutic-recommended marijuana; sponsors said that amendment followed industry and department negotiation.
Outcome: Representative Stagney moved to report HB 661 favorable with amendments; the committee adopted the amendments and reported the bill favorable. LDH witnesses said fee revenue will fund program operations and that the department will only be able to provide services at a level consistent with revenue collected.
What’s next: The department and industry representatives said they will continue technical work to match fee levels to program needs before the bills reach the House floor.
