SLS 19RS-210 REENGROSSED
2019 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 161
BY SENATORS LAFLEUR AND THOMPSON
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Provides relative to the Lafayette Economic Development
Authority. (see Act)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 34:292(B)(1), to enact R.S. 34:291(B)(3) and to repeal R.S.
3 34:291.1 and 295, relative to the Lafayette Economic Development Authority; to
4 provide for oversight responsibility; to remove certain responsibilities for
5 examinations and investigations; to provide for board appointment; to provide for
6 transition; and to provide for related matters.
7 Notice of intention to introduce this Act has been published.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 34:291(B)(3) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 PART IV. LAFAYETTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
11 §291. Creation; territorial limits and jurisdiction
12 * * *
13 B.
14 * * *
15 (3) No rule, regulation, or order shall be adopted by the Lafayette
16 Economic Development Authority which is inconsistent with or contrary to any
17 law, ordinance, or regulation now in force or hereinafter enacted by the United
Page 1 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 161
SLS 19RS-210 REENGROSSED
1 States of America, the state of Louisiana, or Lafayette Parish, and any such
2 rule, regulation, or order shall be void, except that no action by the Lafayette
3 Parish Council shall abrogate any contract or agreement duly executed by the
4 authority that was valid and legal when executed.
5 Section 2. R.S. 34:292(B)(1) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
6 §292. Board of commissioners
7 * * *
8 B.(1) The commissioners shall be appointed as follows:
9 (a) Two members, one of whom shall be nominated by the Lafayette Parish
10 Farm Bureau, shall be appointed by a majority vote of the mayors of the incorporated
11 municipalities of Lafayette Parish other than the city of Lafayette.
12 (b) Two members, one of whom shall be nominated by the Greater Lafayette
13 Chamber of Commerce, shall be appointed by the mayor of the city of Lafayette
14 Mayor-President. The mayor of the city of Lafayette Mayor-President may serve
15 as one of the appointments.
16 (c) Two members, one of whom shall be a black citizen racial minority,
17 shall be appointed by the Lafayette City Council.
18 (d) Two members, one of whom shall be nominated by the Central Labor
19 Council of Lafayette, shall be appointed by the Lafayette Parish president. The parish
20 president may serve as one of the appointments.
21 (e) Two members, one of whom shall be a black citizen racial minority,
22 shall be appointed by the Lafayette Parish Council.
23 (f) Two members (e) One member shall be appointed by the president of the
24 University of Southwestern Louisiana at Lafayette. The president may serve as one
25 of the appointments appointment.
26 (f) One member shall be appointed by the chancellor of South Louisiana
27 Community College. The chancellor may serve as the appointment.
28 (g) One member shall be appointed jointly by the members of the
29 Louisiana House of Representatives who represent a district in which the
Page 2 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 161
SLS 19RS-210 REENGROSSED
1 majority of the population of their district resides in Lafayette Parish.
2 (h) One member shall be appointed jointly by the members of the
3 Louisiana Senate who represent a district in which the majority of the
4 population of their district resides in Lafayette Parish.
5 * * *
6 Section 3. R.S. 34:291.1 and 295 are hereby repealed.
7 Section 4. The provisions of Section 2 of this Act shall become effective
8 March 1, 2020.
9 Section 5. The provisions of Sections 1, 3, 4 and this Section of this Act shall become
10 effective upon signature by the governor or, if not signed by the governor, upon expiration
11 of the time for bills to become law without signature by the governor, as provided by Article
12 III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If vetoed by the governor and subsequently
13 approved by the legislature, this Act shall become effective on the day following such
14 approval.
The original instrument was prepared by Michael Bell. The following digest,
which does not constitute a part of the legislative instrument, was prepared
by Nancy Vicknair.
DIGEST
SB 161 Reengrossed 2019 Regular Session LaFleur
Present law creates the Lafayette Economic Development Authority as a political
subdivision of the state with its territorial limits and jurisdiction extending throughout the
parish of Lafayette.
Proposed law retains present law and adds that no rule, regulation, or order shall be adopted
by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority which is inconsistent with or contrary
to any law, ordinance, or regulation now in force or hereinafter enacted by the United States
of America, the state of Louisiana, or Lafayette Parish, and any such rule, regulation, or
order shall be void, except that no action by the Lafayette Parish Council shall abrogate any
contract or agreement duly executed by the authority that was valid and legal when executed.
Present law provides for nomination and appointment of a board of commissioners appointed
as follows:
(1)Two members, one of whom shall be nominated by the Lafayette Parish Farm
Bureau, shall be appointed by a majority vote of the mayors of the incorporated
municipalities of Lafayette Parish other than the city of Lafayette.
(2)Two members, one of whom shall be nominated by the Greater Lafayette Chamber
of Commerce, shall be appointed by the mayor of the city of Lafayette. The mayor
of the city of Lafayette may serve as one of the appointments.
Page 3 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 161
SLS 19RS-210 REENGROSSED
(3)Two members, one of whom shall be a black citizen, shall be appointed by the
Lafayette City Council.
(4)Two members, one of whom shall be nominated by the Central Labor Council of
Lafayette, shall be appointed by the Lafayette Parish president. The parish president
may serve as one of the appointments.
(5)Two members, one of whom shall be a black citizen, shall be appointed by the
Lafayette Parish Council.
(6)Two members shall be appointed by the president of the University of Southwestern
Louisiana. The president may serve as one of the appointments.
Proposed law makes technical changes to the list of board members and revises the
nomination and appointment of board members as follows:
(1)Two members, one of whom shall be nominated by the Lafayette Parish Farm
Bureau, shall be appointed by a majority vote of the mayors of the incorporated
municipalities of Lafayette Parish other than the city of Lafayette.
(2)Two members shall be appointed by the Lafayette Mayor-President. The Lafayette
Mayor-President may serve as one of the appointments.
(3)Two members, one of whom shall be a racial minority, shall be appointed by the
Lafayette City Council.
(4)Two members, one of whom shall be a racial minority, shall be appointed by the
Lafayette Parish Council.
(5)One member shall be appointed by the president of the University of Louisiana at
Lafayette. The president may serve as the appointment.
(6)One member shall be appointed by the chancellor of South Louisiana Community
College. The chancellor may serve as the appointment.
(7)One member shall be appointed jointly by the members of the Louisiana House of
Representatives who represent a district in which the majority of the population of
their district resides in Lafayette Parish.
(8)One member shall be appointed jointly by the members of the Louisiana Senate who
represent a district in which the majority of the population of their district resides in
Lafayette Parish.
The effective date of such board appointments is March 1, 2020.
Present law provides for the Lafayette Parish Council to have oversight responsibility for the
Lafayette Economic Development Authority and to utilize such powers as are necessary to
exercise such oversight responsibility.
Present law requires the board to make an annual report to the parish of Lafayette about the
number of arrivals and departures of vessels and their tonnage along with the exports and
imports passing through the port district.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 34:292(B)(1); adds R.S. 34:291(B)(3); repeals R.S. 34:291.1 and 295)
Page 4 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 161
SLS 19RS-210 REENGROSSED
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Senate Floor Amendments engrossed bill
1. Makes technical changes.
2. Revises the nomination and appointment of members of the board of
commissioners and provides for the effective date of such appointments to
be March 1, 2020.
3. Adds three members to the board of commissioners.
4. Deletes the two members nominated by the Central Labor Council of
Lafayette and appointed by the Lafayette Parish president.
Page 5 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.