SB 517

SLS 26RS-463  ORIGINAL
 2026 Regular Session
 SENATE BILL NO. 517
 BY SENATOR BARROW
 SPECIAL DISTRICTS. Provides for the board of commissioners of the Baton Rouge North
 Economic Development District. (8/1/26)
1AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 33:2740.67(C)(1), (2), (3) and (4), relative to the Baton Rouge
3North Economic Development District; to provide relative to the membership of the
4board of commissioners; to provide relative to the term of office for members of the
5board of commissioners; and to provide for related matters.
6Notice of intention to introduce this Act has been published.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8Section 1. R.S. 33:2740.67(C)(1), (2), (3) and (4) are hereby amended and reenacted
9 to read as follows:
10§2740.67. Baton Rouge North Economic Development District
11*      *       *
12C. Governance. (1) In order to provide for the orderly planning, development,
13acquisition, construction, and effectuation of the services, improvements, and
14facilities to be furnished by the district and to provide for the representation in the
15affairs of the district of those persons and interests immediately concerned with and
16affected by the purposes and development of the district, the district shall be
17managed by a nine-member eleven-member board of commissioners, referred to in
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  words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
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1      this Section as the "board". The board shall be comprised of members as follows:
2(a) One member shall be appointed by the state representative for House
3      District No. 29, who shall be a representative of the business community, on a
4      rotating basis beginning in 2022 and every other year thereafter.
5(b) Two members shall be appointed by the state senator for Senate District
6      No. 15.
7(c) One member with a background in economic development shall be
8      appointed by the mayor-president of the parish of East Baton Rouge.
9(d) One member, from a list of three nominees submitted by a nominating
10      subcommittee established by the board, shall be appointed with a community
11      development background located within the district to be selected by a subcommittee
12      formed by the board.
13(e) One member shall be appointed by the owner of the largest parcel of land
14      located within the district.
15(f) One member shall be appointed by the state representative for House
16      District No. 61, on a rotating basis beginning in 2022 and every other year thereafter.
17(g) One member shall be appointed by the state representative for House
18      District No. 63, on a rotating basis beginning in 2022 and every other year thereafter.
19(h) One member shall be appointed by the state representative for House
20      District No. 67, on a rotating basis beginning in 2023 and every other year thereafter.
21(i) One member shall be appointed by the state representative for House
22      District No. 101, on a rotating basis beginning in 2023 and every other year
23      thereafter governing authority of the parish of East Baton Rouge.
24(j) One member shall be appointed by the state senator for Senate District No.
25      14.
26*       *       *
27(2) Members shall serve two -year terms. Members shall serve four-year
28      terms. No member shall serve more than two-consecutive four-year terms. A
29      partial term of two years or less shall not count toward the term limit. Service
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1for more than two years of a partial term limit shall count as one consecutive
2term. Two members shall serve an initial term of one year; two member shall
3serve an initial term of two years; three member shall serve an initial term of
4three years; four member shall serve an initial term of four years, all as
5determined by lot at the first meeting of the board. Thereafter, each
6reappointment to a seat shall be for a four-year term expiring in the same cycle
7year applicable to that seat.
8(3) Board members shall be eligible for reappointment, but the cumulative
9term of service shall not exceed four years.
10(4) Any vacancy which occurs prior to the expiration of the term for which
11a member of the board has been appointed shall be filled for the remainder of the
12unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. If the vacancy is
13not filled within sixty days, the governor shall appoint an interim member from
14a list of three nominees provided by the original appointing authority.
15*    *  *
  The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
  of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services.
  The keyword, summary, and digest do not constitute part of the law or proof
  or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
  DIGEST
 SB 517 Original  2026 Regular Session  Barrow
 Present law (R.S. 33:2740.67) created the Baton Rouge North Economic Development
 District.
 Present law (R.S. 33:2740.67(C)) provides that the district shall be managed by a nine-
 member board of commissioners. The board shall be comprised of members as follows:
 (1)    One member shall be appointed by the state representative for House District No. 29,
  who shall be a representative of the business community, on a rotating basis
  beginning in 2022 and every other year thereafter.
 (2)    Two members shall be appointed by the state senator for Senate District No. 15.
 (3)    One member with a background in economic development shall be appointed by the
  mayor-president of the parish of East Baton Rouge.
 (4)    One member shall be appointed with a community development background located
  within the district to be selected by a subcommittee formed by the board.
 (5)    One member shall be appointed by the owner of the largest parcel of land located
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   within the district.
(6)    One member shall be appointed by the state representative for House District No. 61,
   on a rotating basis beginning in 2022 and every other year thereafter.
(7)    One member shall be appointed by the state representative for House District No. 63,
   on a rotating basis beginning in 2022 and every other year thereafter.
(8)    One member shall be appointed by the state representative for House District No. 67,
   on a rotating basis beginning in 2023 and every other year thereafter.
(9)    One member shall be appointed by the state representative for House District No.
   101, on a rotating basis beginning in 2023 and every other year thereafter.
(10)   One member shall be appointed by the state senator for Senate District No. 14.
Proposed law changes present law and provides that the member appointed by the state
representative for House District No. 29, does not have to be a representative of the business
community.
Proposed law changes present law and provides that the member with the community
background shall be selected from a list of three nominees submitted by a nominating
subcommittee established by the board.
Proposed law removes the rotating terms of board members, resulting in the board of
commissioners being composed of eleven members.
Present law provides that board members shall serve two-year terms.
Proposed law increases the term of board members from two-year terms to four-year terms.
Proposed law provides that no member shall serve more than two-consecutive four-year
terms. Provides that a partial term of two years or less shall not count toward the term limit.
Further provides that service for more than two years of a partial term limit shall count as
one consecutive term.
Proposed law provides that two members shall serve an initial term of one year; two member
shall serve an initial term of two years; three member shall serve an initial term of three
years; four member shall serve an initial term of four years, all as determined by lot at the
first meeting of the board. Further provides that each reappointment to a seat shall be for
a four-year term expiring in the same cycle year applicable to that seat
Present law provides that board members shall be eligible for reappointment, but the
cumulative term of service shall not exceed four years.
Proposed law retains present law but removes the four year cumulative term restriction.
Present law provides that any vacancy which occurs prior to the expiration of the term for
which a member of the board has been appointed shall be filled for the remainder of the
unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment.
Proposed law retains present law but provides that if a vacancy is not filled within 60 days,
the governor shall appoint an interim member from a list of three nominees provided by the
original appointing authority.
Effective August 1, 2026.
(Amends R.S. 33:2740.67(C)(1), (2), (3) and (4))
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   words in boldface type and underscored are additions.