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2021 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 184
BY SENATOR HEWITT
SPECIAL DISTRICTS. Provides for the appointment of members to the nominating
committee for the board of commissioners of St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District
No. 2. (8/1/21)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 46:1098.5(B)(6) and (C), 1098.6(B)(1)(a), and 1098.7(21) and
3 (23), relative to the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Service District No. 2; to provide
4 for the appointment of members to the nominating committee for the board of
5 commissioners; to provide relative to terms of the board of commissioners; to
6 provide relative to meetings; 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. 46:1098.5(B)(6) and (C), 1098.6(B)(1)(a), and 1098.7(21) and (23)
10 are hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
11 §1098.5. Appointing authority
12 * * *
13 B. The appointing authority shall be composed of seven members as follows:
14 * * *
15 (6) Two appointees of the The state senator and the state
16 representative in whose district Slidell Memorial Hospital resides, or their
17 designees.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
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1 C. The state senator shall be responsible for ensuring the proper appointment
2 of all members of the nominating committee appointing authority pursuant to this
3 Section, calling and providing proper notice of all meetings of the nominating
4 committee appointing authority, and maintaining all appropriate documentation of
5 the nominating committee appointing authority. The nominating committee shall
6 select annually a chairman to conduct meetings of the committee. The state senator
7 shall serve as the chairperson of the appointing authority.
8 * * *
9 §1098.6. Qualifications of board of commissioners
10 * * *
11 B.(1) * * *
12 (a) No member of the board, whether appointed by recommendation of the
13 nominating committee or the medical staff, shall serve more than three consecutive
14 terms. One term shall consist of four years, with the exception of Subsection (b)
15 and (c) below.
16 * * *
17 §1098.7. Rights, powers, and duties of board of commissioners
18 The district acting by and through its board shall have and exercise all rights,
19 powers, and duties for the carrying out of its objects and purposes including but not
20 limited to the following:
21 * * *
22 (21) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, to annually
23 appoint, if desired, a former member of the board to serve as a nonvoting
24 "Commissioner Emeritus" to advise and provide historical perspective to the board
25 when requested by the chairman. Such person shall be paid a per diem equal to that
26 paid to other board members for attendance at the meeting together with reasonable
27 expenses to attend any event attended by the board of commissioners. The
28 "Commissioner Emeritus" may not serve longer than one year.
29 * * *
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1 (23) To hold regular meetings at least monthly and as often as necessary for
2 the conduct of its business. Special meetings may be called upon with at least
3 forty-eight hour notice by the chairperson, or in his absence, by the vice chairperson,
4 or upon the written authorization of a majority of the members of the board.
5 Emergency meetings, providing notice of at least twenty-four hours, may be called
6 by the chairperson, or in his absence, by the vice chairperson, or by any three
7 members of the board.
8 * * *
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by James Benton.
DIGEST
SB 184 Engrossed 2021 Regular Session Hewitt
Present law provides that commissioners appointed to the board, except those named by the
Slidell Memorial Hospital medical staff, will be chosen by the appointing authority as
provided for in present law, from nominations received from the nominating committee
composed of nine members. Members of the permanent nominating committee will be
appointed from entities outlined in this present law and will submit a copy of their
appointments to the state senator in whose district Slidell Memorial Hospital resides. The
state senator will be responsible for ensuring the proper appointment of all members of the
nominating committee.
Proposed law retains present law.
Present law provides that the state senator will be responsible for ensuring the proper
appointment of all members of the nominating committee, calling and providing proper
notice of all meetings of the nominating committee, and maintaining all appropriate
documentation of the nominating committee. The nominating committee shall select
annually a chairperson to conduct meetings of the committee.
Proposed law makes a technical change in terminology from the "nominating committee"
to the "appointing authority".
Proposed law provides that the state senator will serve as the chairperson of the appointing
authority.
Present law provides that the appointing authority shall be composed of seven members as
follows:
(1)One appointee of the Slidell city council who resides within the city limits of Slidell.
(2)One appointee of the mayor of Slidell who resides within the city limits of Slidell.
(3)One appointee of the St. Tammany Parish council who resides within the
geographical boundaries of the district.
(4)One appointee of the St. Tammany Parish president who resides within the
geographical boundaries of the district.
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(5)One appointee of the governing authority of the town of Pearl River who resides
within the corporate limits of Pearl River.
(6)Two appointees of the state senator and the state representative in whose district
Slidell Memorial Hospital resides.
Proposed law retains present law but provides that the senator and representative, or their
designee, will be a member of the appointment authority.
Present law provides that no member of the board, whether appointed by recommendation
of the nominating committee or the medical staff, will serve more than three consecutive
terms.
Proposed law retains present law but provides that one term will consist of four years,
unless:
(1)An appointee is named to fill the term of a member who has left the board and less
than two years remain in the term, that appointee's term will not be considered one
of the three consecutive terms to which a member is limited; or
(2)An appointee is named to fill the term of a member who has left the board and more
than two years remain in the term, that appointee's term will be considered one of the
three consecutive terms to which a member is limited.
Present law provides that board shall have the power to annually appoint a former member
of the board to serve as a nonvoting "Commissioner Emeritus" to advise and provide
historical perspective to the board when requested by the chairman. Such person shall be
paid a per diem equal to that paid to other board members for attendance at the meeting
together with reasonable expenses to attend any event attended by the board of
commissioners. The "Commissioner Emeritus" may not serve longer than one year.
Proposed law retains present law but makes the appointment of "Commissioner Emeritus"
optional.
Present law provides that special meetings may be called with 48-hour notice by the
chairperson, or in his absence, by the vice chairperson, or upon the written authorization of
a majority of the members of the board.
Proposed law retains present law but makes technical change.
Effective August 1, 2021.
(Amends R.S. 46:1098.5(B)(6) and (C), 1098.6(B)(1)(a), and 1098.7(21) and (23))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Local and Municipal
Affairs to the original bill
1. Deletes duplicative provisions regarding responsibility for proper
appointment of nominating committee.
2. Changes to provide senator and representative are members of appointing
authority.
3. Adds that the annual appointment of a former member of the board as a
nonvoting "Commissioner Emeritus" is optional.
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.