The Louisiana House Commerce Committee on Tuesday unanimously passed a seafood disclosure bill, marking the first time in almost a decade such a bill will make it to the full House for debate. House bill 266, introduced by Rep. Fred Mills, prohibits restaurants from claiming that imported shrimp or crawfish comes from Louisiana.
Originally the bill required signs or menus to inform customers when a crawfish dish is made using foreign product and called for fines and possible jail time for violators, but was amended to include suggestions from the Louisiana Restaurant Association. The amended bill was expanded to include shrimp, removes the threat of jail and requires restaurants to post a sign, place a notice on menus or orally inform patrons of the origins of the seafood only if asked.
The bill would set a $50 fine for a first offense, a $250 fine for a second conviction and a $500 fine for subsequent convictions.
