HLS 20RS-298 ENGROSSED
2020 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 62
BY REPRESENTATIVE HODGES
FLOODING/CONTROL: Continues the Comite River Diversion Canal Project Task Force
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To continue the Comite River Diversion Canal Project Task Force, which includes the
3 Amite River Basin District, and to authorize the task force to study and make
4 recommendations on actions necessary to complete construction of the Comite River
5 Diversion Project and mitigate flooding caused by the Comite and Amite rivers.
6 WHEREAS, the Amite River and its tributary, the Comite River, are major causes
7of catastrophic flooding in the Greater Baton Rouge Metropolitan Area and all impacted
8downstream communities of East Baton Rouge Parish, Livingston Parish, and Ascension
9Parish; and
10 WHEREAS, during the floods of 1983 and 2016, substantial portions of the parishes
11of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, and Ascension were inundated with flood waters; and
12 WHEREAS, the purpose of the Comite River Diversion Canal Project is to divert
13flood waters from the upper Comite River to the Mississippi River; at its maximum capacity,
14the project will divert twenty thousand cubic feet 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, following the displacement of thousands of residents from the New
19Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina, East Baton Rouge Parish experienced an explosive
20population growth and is now the most populous parish in the state, making the Comite
21River Diversion Canal Project all the more important and urgently significant.
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HCR NO. 62
1 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
2continue the Comite River Diversion Canal Project Task Force, which includes the Amite
3River Basin District, and authorizes the task force to meet and make recommendations to the
4legislature and the appropriate state and federal agencies on actions necessary to complete
5the construction and maintenance of the Comite River Diversion Canal Project, including
6strategies to comply with mitigation requirements and right-of-way acquisitions, mitigation
7of flooding caused by the Comite River, other required mitigation projects and flood plain
8planning throughout the Amite River Basin, and the actions of the watershed initiative
9pertaining to the Amite River Basin to maintain transparency to the citizens of the Amite
10River Basin.
11 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be comprised of the
12following members:
13 (1)One member shall be the member of the House of Representatives appointed
14by the speaker of the House whose district is directly impacted by the Amite River Basin and
15who shall be the chairman of the task force.
16 (2)Two members shall be members of the House of Representatives appointed
17by the speaker of the House whose districts are directly impacted by the Amite River Basin.
18 (3)One member shall be the member of the Senate appointed by the president
19of the Senate whose district is directly impacted by the Amite River Basin and who shall be
20the vice chairman of the task force.
21 (4)Two members shall be members of the Senate appointed by the president
22of the Senate whose districts are directly impacted by the Amite River Basin.
23 (5)One member shall be appointed by the members of the Louisiana
24congressional delegation representing the district in which the Amite River Basin is located.
25 (6)One member shall be the general counsel of The Water Institute of the Gulf,
26or his designee.
27 (7)One member shall be the secretary of the Department of Transportation and
28Development, or his designee.
29 (8)One member shall be the executive director of the Coastal Protection and
30Restoration Authority, or his designee.
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HCR NO. 62
1 (9)One member shall be a former member of the Amite River Basin Drainage
2and Water Conservation District board of commissioners appointed by the chairman of the
3task force.
4 (10)One member shall be a representative from the Louisiana Geological Survey.
5 (11)One member shall be the director of the Department of Public Works of East
6Baton Rouge Parish, or his designee.
7 (12)One member shall be a home builder within the area impacted by the Amite
8River Basin District appointed by the president of the Louisiana Home Builders Association.
9 (13)One member shall be a realtor in the area impacted by the Amite River Basin
10District appointed by the Louisiana REALTORS.
11 (14)One member shall be a representative of the Federal Emergency Management
12Agency (FEMA) appointed by the director of FEMA's Louisiana Recovery Office.
13 (15)One member shall be a landowner in the area impacted by the Amite River
14Basin District appointed by the Louisiana Landowners Association, Inc.
15 (16)One member shall be a representative of the board of commissioners for the
16Amite River Basin Drainage and Water Conservation District appointed by the president of
17the board.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall submit recommendations to
19the Joint Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works no later than December
2031, 2020.
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this task force will be staffed by the House
22Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works staff for all meetings of the task
23force.
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 62 Engrossed 2020 Regular Session Hodges
Continues the Comite River Diversion Canal Project Task Force, which includes the Amite
River Basin District, and authorizes the task force to study and make recommendations to
the legislature on actions necessary to complete the construction of the Comite River
Diversion Canal Project and mitigate flooding caused by the Comite and Amite rivers.
Page 3 of 4 HLS 20RS-298 ENGROSSED
HCR NO. 62
Provides that the task force submit recommendations to the joint transportation committees
by Dec. 31, 2020. Provides that the task force will be staffed by the staff of the House
Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works. Provides that the task force be
composed of the following members:
(1)One member of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the House
whose district is directly impacted by the Amite River Basin and who shall be the
chairman of the task force.
(2)Two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the
House whose districts are directly impacted by the Amite River Basin.
(3)One member of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate whose district
is directly impacted by the Amite River Basin and who shall be the vice chairman
of the task force.
(4)Two members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate whose districts
are directly impacted by the Amite River Basin.
(5)One member appointed by the members of the La. congressional delegation
representing the district in which the Amite River Basin is located.
(6)The general counsel of The Water Institute of the Gulf, or his designee.
(7)The secretary of the Dept. of Transportation and Development, or his designee.
(8)The executive director of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, or his
designee.
(9)A former member of the Amite River Basin Drainage and Water Conservation
District board of commissioners appointed by the chairman of the task force.
(10)A representative from the La. Geological Survey.
(11)The director of the Dept. of Public Works of East Baton Rouge Parish, or his
designee.
(12)A home builder within the area impacted by the Amite River Basin District
appointed by the president of the La. Home Builders Assoc.
(13)A realtor in the area impacted by the Amite River Basin District appointed by the La.
REALTORS.
(14)A representative of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) appointed
by the director of FEMA's La. Recovery Office.
(15)A landowner in the area impacted by the Amite River Basin District appointed by the
La. Landowners Assoc.
(16)A representative of the board of commissioners for the Amite River Basin Drainage
and Water Conservation District appointed by the president of the board.
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Natural Resources and
Environment to the original bill:
1. Add a representative of the board of commissioners for the Amite River Basin
Drainage and Water Conservation District appointed by the president of the
board to the membership of the task force.
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