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Regular Session, 2014
SENATE BILL NO. 305
BY SENATOR CHABERT
COASTAL RESOURCES. Provides relative to Coastal Louisiana Levee Consortium.
(gov sig)
AN ACT1
To enact R.S. 49:214.6.8 and to repeal R.S. 38:331, relative to coastal protection and2
restoration; to provide relative to the Coastal Louisiana Levee Consortium as an3
advisory commission of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board; to4
provide relative to duties, purposes, and membership; to provide certain terms,5
conditions, procedures, and requirements; and to provide for related matters.6
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:7
Section 1. R. S. 49:214.6.8 is hereby enacted to read as follows: 8
ยง214.6.8. Coastal Louisiana Levee Consortium; establishment; purposes9
A.(1) There is hereby created the Coastal Louisiana Levee Consortium,10
hereinafter referred to as the "consortium", which shall include members from11
those levee districts, flood protection authorities, or parishes situated entirely12
or partially within the coastal area as defined in R.S. 49:214.2(4) and as13
provided in Subsection B of this Section.14
(2) The consortium shall be an advisory commission of the Coastal15
Protection and Restoration Authority Board. It shall be a public body and16
subject to public records and open meeting laws.17 SB NO. 305
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(3) The purpose of the consortium shall be to facilitate communication1
and coordination of efforts of the levee districts, flood protection authorities,2
and parishes specified in Subsection B of this Section; to protect coastal3
Louisiana, its people, property, and resources; to increase awareness and4
understanding of integrated coastal protection, including but not limited to5
conditions, issues, strategies, and policies of flood control, coastal levee systems,6
hurricane risk reduction systems, and mitigation projects; and to provide one7
unified voice that is representative of the coastal levee community in8
communicating information necessary for decision-making to policymakers at9
the state and federal levels and to the board and the authority set forth in R.S.10
49:214.1, et seq.11
B.(1) The members of the consortium shall consist of the director,12
general manager, or president, or their designee, of each board of13
commissioners of a coastal levee district or flood protection authority, including14
the following:15
(a) Atchafalaya Basin Levee District.16
(b) Grand Isle Independent Levee District.17
(c) Lafourche Basin Levee District.18
(d) North Lafourche Conservation, Levee and Drainage District.19
(e) Pontchartrain Levee District.20
(f) South Lafourche Levee District.21
(g) Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District.22
(h) Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority - East.23
(i) Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority - West.24
(j) Lafitte Area Independent Levee District.25
(k) St. Mary Levee District.26
(l) Iberia Parish Levee, Hurricane and Conservation District.27
(m) Chenier Plain Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority.28
(n) Amite River Basin Commission.29 SB NO. 305
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(o) Any other levee district or flood protection authority that may be1
created and made operational for a coastal parish after January 1, 2014,2
including but not limited to levee districts or flood protection authorities for3
Acadia, Lafayette, Jefferson Davis, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes.4
However, until such time as a levee district or flood protection authority is5
created and made operational for the parish, the parish president or police jury6
president, or their designee, of each of the above parishes shall be a member of7
the consortium.8
(p) Plaquemines Parish president.9
(2) A designee of a member shall meet at least one of the following10
requirements:11
(a) He shall be serving as a current member of his respective levee board,12
flood protection authority, or parish governing authority.13
(b) He shall have expertise in engineering or public works functions14
related to flood and drainage control, water resources, soil conservation, or15
related functions.16
C. The consortium shall:17
(1) Advise the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board18
concerning integrated coastal protection, including but not limited to19
conditions, issues, strategies, and policies of flood control, coastal levee systems,20
hurricane risk reduction systems, and mitigation projects.21
(2) Coordinate the exchange of information among consortium members22
and advise consortium members and others in assessing and addressing the23
above issues.24
(3) Evaluate the potential of various strategies, develop regional25
awareness of effective strategies, and develop a regional plan for the26
improvement of regional levee systems and integrated coastal protection.27
(4) Seek the input of other local officials in assessing, addressing, or28
developing any regional strategy or plan.29 SB NO. 305
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(5) Seek the expertise of and work in conjunction with any other1
interested federal, state or local entities, including but not limited to the United2
States Army Corps of Engineers, the Coastal Protection and Restoration3
Authority, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and nongovernmental4
organizations.5
(6) Provide an annual report on the status of levees and integrated6
coastal protection within the member levee districts, flood protection7
authorities, and parishes no later than January first of each year to the Coastal8
Protection and Restoration Authority Board.9
D. (1) The chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority10
Board shall call the first meeting of the consortium. Thereafter, the meetings11
shall be called by the consortium chairman.12
(2) At the first meeting, the members shall elect a consortium chairman,13
vice chairman, and such other officers as the members may deem advisable.14
(3) The officers shall be selected from among the members of the15
consortium. The consortium chairman shall be a member who is already16
serving as a current member of the Coastal Protection and Restoration17
Authority Board.18
(4) Every four years thereafter or at a special call by majority vote of the19
consortium, an election shall be held for officers, subject to the eligibility20
requirements set forth in this Section.21
E. Members of the consortium shall receive no pay or allowances for22
their attendance at meetings of the consortium, but may be compensated for23
expenses incurred in attending meetings by their respective governing24
authorities according to the authority's regulations. Participation in the25
consortium shall be considered as a function of the office held by the member26
in their governing authority.27
F. A meeting of the consortium shall be convened at least twice a year in28
the capital of the state or at a location in the coastal area of the state, as29 SB NO. 305
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determined by the consortium members.1
Section 2. R.S. 38:331 is hereby repealed.2
Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not3
signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature4
by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If5
vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become6
effective on the day following such approval.7
The original instrument was prepared by Jerry G. Jones. The following
digest, which does not constitute a part of the legislative instrument, was
prepared by McHenry Lee.
DIGEST
Chabert (SB 305)
Proposed law provides for the Coastal Louisiana Levee Consortium to be an advisory
commission of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board. Provides that it shall
be a public body and subject to open meetings and public record laws.
Proposed law provides that the purpose of the consortium shall be to facilitate
communication and coordination of efforts to protect coastal Louisiana, its people, property,
and resources; to increase awareness and understanding of integrated coastal protection,
including but not limited to conditions, issues, strategies, and policies of flood control,
coastal levee systems, hurricane risk reduction systems, and mitigation projects; and to
provide a unified voice that is representative of the coastal levee community in
communicating information necessary for decision-making to policymakers at the state and
federal levels and to the Coastal Protection Restoration Authority and Board.
Proposed law provides that the consortium shall:
(1)Advise the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board concerning
integrated coastal protection, including but not limited to conditions, issues,
strategies, and policies of flood control, coastal levee systems, hurricane risk
reduction systems, and mitigation projects.
(2)Coordinate the exchange of information among consortium members and advise
consortium members and others in assessing and addressing the above issues.
(3)Evaluate the potential of various strategies, develop regional awareness of effective
strategies, and develop a regional plan for the improvement of regional levee systems
and integrated coastal protection.
(4)Seek the input of other local officials in assessing, addressing, or developing any
regional strategy or plan.
(5)Seek the expertise of and work in conjunction with any other interested federal, state
or local entities, including but not limited to the United States Army Corps of
Engineers, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and nongovernmental organizations.
(6)Provide an annual report on the status of levees and integrated coastal protection SB NO. 305
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within the member levee districts, flood protection authorities, and parishes no later
than January first of each year to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority
Board.
Proposed law provides that the consortium members shall consist of the director, general
manager, or president, or their designee, of each board of commissioners of a coastal levee
district or flood protection authority, including the following:
(1)Atchafalaya Basin Levee District.
(2)Grand Isle Independent Levee District.
(3)Lafourche Basin Levee District.
(4)North Lafourche Conservation, Levee and Drainage District.
(5)Pontchartrain Levee District.
(6)South Lafourche Levee District.
(7)Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District.
(8)Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority - East.
(9)Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority - West.
(10)Lafitte Area Independent Levee District.
(11)St. Mary Levee District.
(l2)Iberia Parish Levee, Hurricane and Conservation District.
(13)Chenier Plain Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority.
(14)Amite River Basin Commission.
(15)Any other levee district or flood protection authority that may be created and made
operational for a coastal parish after January 1, 2014, including but not limited to
levee districts or flood protection authorities for Acadia, Lafayette, Jefferson Davis,
St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa parishes. However, until such time as a levee district
or flood protection authority is created and made operational for the parish, the
parish president or police jury president, or their designee, of each of the above
parishes shall be a member of the consortium.
(16)Plaquemines Parish president.
Proposed law provides for the calling of meetings and election of officers from among the
consortium members, including the chairman who must already be serving on the Coastal
Protection and Restoration Authority Board.
Proposed law provides that members of the consortium shall receive no pay or allowances
for their attendance at meetings of the consortium, but may be compensated for expenses
incurred in attending meetings by their respective governing authorities according to the
authority's regulations. Participation as a member of the consortium shall be considered as
a function of the office held by the member in their governing authority. Further provides
that a meeting of the consortium shall be convened at least twice a year in the capital of the
state or at a location in the coastal area of the state, as determined by the consortium
members. SB NO. 305
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words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Present law provides for Coastal Levee Consortium and sets forth certain purposes and
duties.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 49:214.6.8; repeals R.S. 38:331)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Natural Resources to
the original bill
1. Removes Vermilion Parish from the list of consortium members who have
not created a levee district or flood protection authority.
2. Provides that the chairman will be a member who is already serving as a
current member of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.