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2024 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 473
BY SENATOR ABRAHAM
COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES. Provides relative to the Louisiana Universities Marine
Consortium. (See Act)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3129.10, the chapter heading of Chapter 28 of Title 17 of the
3 Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, and 3451 and to repeal R.S. 17:3452 through
4 3456, relative to the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium; to provide for the
5 DeFelice Marine Center and marine education function; to provide for the Houma
6 Maritime Campus and research functions; to provide an effective date; to provide
7 relative to division of assets; and to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 17:3129.10, the chapter heading of Chapter 28 of Title 17 of the
10 Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, and 3451 are hereby amended and reenacted to read as
11 follows:
12 §3129.10. Authority to carry over interagency transfers and self-generated revenues;
13 the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium and LOUIS: The
14 Louisiana Library Network
15 A. The Board of Regents, as the governing authority of the Louisiana
16 Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON), may retain and carry over into the next
17 fiscal year those balances in LUMCON's interagency transfers and self-generated
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1 revenue accounts which remain unexpended at the end of a fiscal year.
2 B. The Board of Regents, as the governing authority of LOUIS: The
3 Louisiana Library Network (LOUIS), may retain and carry over into the next fiscal
4 year those balances in LOUIS's interagency transfers and self-generated revenue
5 accounts which remain unexpended at the end of a fiscal year.
6 * * *
7 CHAPTER 28. LOUISIANA UNIVERSITIES MARINE
8 CONSORTIUM FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATI ON
9 §3451. Purpose DeFelice Marine Center and Houma Maritime Campus;
10 implementation; division of assets
11 The purpose of this Chapter is to create the Louisiana Universities Marine
12 Consortium for Research and Education as a statewide entity with the primary
13 function of conducting research and promoting education in the marine sciences and
14 marine technology, particularly where related to coastal resources and the impact of
15 energy related industries upon these coastal resources. Such functions shall be
16 performed by the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium on the Louisiana gulf
17 coast.
18 A. It is the intent of the legislature to eliminate the Louisiana Universities
19 Marine Consortium (LUMCON) and assign the DeFelice Marine Center and
20 marine education function to Nicholls State University and assign the Houma
21 Maritime Campus and research functions to Louisiana State University and
22 Agricultural and Mechanical College, not later than March 1, 2025.
23 B. Division of assets shall be as follows:
24 (1) Not later than December 31, 2024, the Board of Regents, LSU, and
25 Nicholls State may confect an agreement on the disposition of property,
26 facilities, equipment, personnel, and records. That agreement must include a
27 date of transfer of operations. The Board of Regents shall disburse any
28 appropriations or allocations made in support of LUMCON to the two
29 universities in accordance with the agreement.
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1 (2) If an agreement is not confected by December 31, 2024, the
2 LUMCON facility and assets located in Cocodrie shall be transferred to Nicholls
3 State University, as well as any commitments, grants, or programs meant to be
4 fulfilled at that facility. The property and watercraft located at the Houma
5 facility shall be transferred to LSU, as well as the commitments, grants, or
6 programs meant to be fulfilled at that facility. The personnel may be invited to
7 join the faculty or staff of either institution with the terms and conditions set by
8 the universities. The records created to that date shall be maintained by the
9 Board of Regents, and may be transferred to either party based on their
10 pertinence to facilities transferred to the universities.
11 (3) In either situation, Nicholls State University and LSU shall jointly
12 submit a report to the legislature not later than March 1, 2025, about the
13 transfer of management and operations to include assignment of assets and
14 personnel.
15 Section 2. R.S. 17:3452 through 3456 are hereby repealed.
16 Section 3. The provisions of Section 2 of this Act shall become effective on
17 December 31, 2024.
18 Section 4. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
19 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
20 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
21 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
22 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Mary Frances Aucoin.
DIGEST
SB 473 Original 2024 Regular Session Abraham
Present law (R.S. 17:3129.10) provides that the Board of Regents can retain and carry over
into the next fiscal year balances in Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium's (LUMCON)
interagency transfers and self-generated revenue accounts.
Proposed law removes this authority from the Board of Regents.
Proposed law (R.S. 17:3451) assigns the DeFelice Marine Center and marine education
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function to Nicholls State University and assigns the Houma Maritime Campus and research
functions to Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College.
Proposed law provides that the Board of Regents, LSU, and Nicholls State can come to an
agreement, by December 31, 2024, on the disposition of property, facilities, equipment,
personnel, and records.
Proposed law provides that if no agreement is confected by December 31, 2024, the
LUMCON facility and assets located in Cocodrie will be transferred to Nicholls State
University and the property and watercraft located at the Houma facility will be transferred
to LSU.
Proposed law requires Nicholls State University and LSU to jointly submit a report to the
legislature by March 1, 2025, about the transfer of management and operations which
includes an assignment of assets and personnel.
Proposed law repeals provisions related to Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium for
research and education.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 17:3129.10, chapter heading of Chapter 28 of Title 17 of the Louisiana
Revised Statutes of 1950, and 3451; repeals 17:3452-3456)
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