HLS 16RS-1650 ORIGINAL
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 39
BY REPRESENTATIVE HODGES
TRANSPORTATION: To continue the Comite River Diversion Canal Task Force for the
purpose of studying and making recommendations on the actions necessary to
complete the Comite River Diversion Canal Project
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To continue the Comite River Diversion Canal Project Task Force that was created pursuant
3 to House Concurrent Resolution No. 51 of the 2014 Regular Session of the
4 Legislature of Louisiana to study and make recommendations on actions necessary
5 to complete the construction of the Comite River Diversion Canal Project.
6 WHEREAS, the Amite River and its tributary, the Comite River, are major causes
7of catastrophic flooding in the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Area, particularly in the
8northeastern part of East Baton Rouge Parish; and
9 WHEREAS, during the flood of 1983, substantial portions of the parishes of East
10Baton Rouge, Livingston, and Ascension were inundated with flood waters; and
11 WHEREAS, the purpose of the Comite River Diversion Canal Project is to divert
12flood waters from the upper Comite River to the Mississippi River; and
13 WHEREAS, at its maximum capacity, the project will divert twenty thousand cubic
14feet per second by gravity flow; and
15 WHEREAS, once completed, the Comite River Diversion Canal could divert fifty
16percent of the flood waters from the upper Comite River, which would substantially reduce
17flood stages along the lower Comite and Amite Rivers; and
18 WHEREAS, as a result, flood insurance premiums would be dramatically reduced
19in the area, which would boost home ownership and the overall economy of the region; and
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HCR NO. 39
1 WHEREAS, this is a major reason why the task force should continue its work; and
2 WHEREAS, following the displacement of thousands of residents from the New
3Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina, East Baton Rouge Parish has experienced an explosive
4population growth and is now the most populous parish in the state, making the Comite
5River Diversion Canal Project all the more important and urgently significant.
6 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
7extend the Comite River Diversion Canal Project Task Force to meet and make
8recommendations to the legislature and the appropriate state and federal agencies on actions
9necessary to complete the construction and maintenance of the Comite River Diversion
10Canal Project, including strategies to comply with mitigation requirements and right-of-way
11acquisitions.
12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be comprised of the
13following members:
14 (1) One member shall be the member of the House of Representatives, appointed by
15the speaker of the House, whose district is directly impacted by the Comite River Diversion
16Canal Project and who shall be the chairman of the task force.
17 (2) One member shall be the member of the Senate, appointed by the president of
18the Senate, whose district is directly impacted by the Comite River Diversion Canal Project
19and who shall be the vice chairman of the task force.
20 (3) One member shall be appointed by the members of the Louisiana congressional
21delegation representing the district in which the Comite River Diversion Canal Project is
22located.
23 (4) One member shall be the district engineer of the United States Army Corps of
24Engineers, New Orleans District, or his designee.
25 (5) One member shall be the secretary of the Department of Transportation and
26Development, or his designee.
27 (6) One member shall be the executive director of the Coastal Protection and
28Restoration Authority, or his designee.
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HCR NO. 39
1 (7) One member shall be a former member of the Amite River Basin Drainage and
2Water Conservation District board of commissioners appointed by the chairman of the task
3force.
4 (8) One member shall be a current member of the Amite River Basin Drainage and
5Water Conservation District board of commissioners appointed by the chairman of the task
6force.
7 (9) One member shall be the director of the Department of Public Works of East
8Baton Rouge Parish, or his designee.
9 (10) One member shall be a home builder within the area impacted by the Comite
10River Diversion Canal Project appointed by the president of the Louisiana Home Builders
11Association.
12 (11) One member shall be a realtor in the area impacted by the Comite River
13Diversion Canal Project appointed by the Louisiana Realtors Association.
14 (12) One member shall be a representative of the Federal Emergency Management
15Agency (FEMA) appointed by the director of FEMA's Louisiana Recovery Office.
16 (13) One member shall be a landowner in the area impacted by the Comite River
17Diversion Canal Project appointed by the Louisiana Landowners Association.
18 (14) One member shall be the state representative representing District 63.
19 (15) One member shall be the state senator representing District 15.
20 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall meet at least on a biannual
21basis and thereafter shall hold such meetings as deemed appropriate by a majority of the task
22force.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall submit recommendations to
24the appropriate legislative committees, as necessary.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this task force will continue to be staffed by the
26House Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works staff for all meetings of
27the task force.
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HCR NO. 39
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, 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)]
HCR 39 Original 2016 Regular Session Hodges
Continues the Comite River Diversion Canal Project Task Force for the purpose of studying
and making recommendations to the legislature on actions necessary to complete the
construction of the Comite River Diversion Canal Project. Provides that the committee
submit recommendations to the appropriate legislative committees, as necessary. Provides
that the task force will be staffed by the House Committee on Transportation, Highways and
Public Works.
Provides that the task force be composed of the following members:
(1)One member shall be the member of the House of Representatives, appointed by the
speaker, within whose district the Comite River Diversion Canal Project is located
and who shall be the chairman of the task force.
(2)One member shall be the member of the Senate, appointed by the president, within
whose district the Comite River Diversion Canal Project is located and who shall be
the vice chairman of the task force.
(3)One member shall be appointed by the members of the Louisiana congressional
delegation representing the district in which the Comite River Diversion Canal
Project is located.
(4)One member shall be the district engineer of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
New Orleans District, or his designee.
(5)One member shall be the secretary of the Dept. of Transportation and Development,
or his designee.
(6)One member shall be the executive director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration
Authority, or his designee.
(7)One member shall be a former member of the Amite River Basin board of
commissioners appointed by the chairman of the task force.
(8)One member shall be a current member of the Amite River Basin board of
commissioners appointed by the chairman of the task force.
(9)One member shall be the director of the Dept. of Public Works of East Baton Rouge
Parish, or his designee.
(10)One member shall be a homebuilder within the area impacted by the Comite River
Diversion Canal Project appointed by the president of the Louisiana Homebuilder's
Association.
(11)One member shall be a realtor in the area impacted by the Comite River Diversion
Canal Project appointed by the Louisiana Realtors Association.
(12)One member shall be a representative of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) appointed by the director of FEMA's Louisiana Recovery Office.
(13)One member shall be a landowner in the area impacted by the Comite River
Diversion Canal Project appointed by the Louisiana Landowners Association.
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HCR NO. 39
(14)One member shall be the state representative representing District 63.
(15)One member shall be the state senator representing District 15.
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