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2025 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 210
BY SENATOR CLOUD
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
MUSEUMS. Provides relative to state museums. (8/1/25)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 25:341, 342, 344, 345, 346, 349, 350, 353, 380.10, 380.14(A),
3 (B) and (C)(2)(b)(iii), and 380.15 and R.S. 36:208(C) and 209(A)(3) and (9) and to
4 repeal R.S. 25:351, 352 and 380.11 and R.S. 36:801.8, relative to the office of the
5 state museum; to provide relative to the board of directors and appointments; to
6 provide for domicile, powers and duties of the office of the state museum and its
7 board; to provide regarding transition of board membership; to provide relative to
8 properties included in the state museum system; to provide regarding use of the
9 museum's collections; to provide relative to residential and commercial leasing of
10 properties; and to provide for related matters.
11 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
12 Section 1. R.S. 25:341, 342, 344, 345, 346, 349, 350, 353, 380.10, 380.14(A), (B)
13 and (C)(2)(b)(iii), and 380.15 are hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
14 §341. Establishment and location; purpose; board of directors; appointment;
15 compensation of members; terms; oaths
16 A. The Louisiana State Museum is established as a complex of facilities in
17 the cities of Baton Rouge, Natchitoches, New Orleans, Patterson, Thibodaux, and
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1 Winnfield under the management and supervision of the office of the state museum
2 of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
3 B. The Louisiana State Museum shall be a historical, cultural, and
4 educational institution whose primary purpose shall be to collect, preserve, and
5 present, as an educational resource, objects of art, documents, artifacts, and the like
6 that reflect the history, art, and culture of Louisiana.
7 C. The Board of Directors of the Louisiana State Museum, hereinafter
8 hereafter in this Chapter referred to as the board, is hereby created in the
9 Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.
10 D. The board of directors of the Louisiana State Museum shall be composed
11 of members as provided in this Subsection E of this Section. The secretary of the
12 Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, or his designee, shall serve as a
13 member of the board. Each additional appointed member of the board shall have a
14 knowledge of and interest in art, history, and cultural restoration. Further, each
15 member nominee shall have experience in at least one of the following subject areas:
16 marketing, law, historic preservation, museum sciences, finance, accounting,
17 business administration, fundraising for nonprofits, facility management, community
18 or consumer advocacy, or other pertinent disciplines. Additional members of the
19 board shall be appointed by the lieutenant governor as follows:
20 E.(1)The following members of the board shall serve as ex officio
21 members:
22 (a) The governor, or his designee.
23 (b) The lieutenant governor, or his designee.
24 (c) The president of the Senate, or his designee.
25 (d) The speaker of the House of Representatives, or his designee.
26 (2) Beginning January 15, 2029, each of the following members of the
27 board shall be appointed by the lieutenant governor from a list of names
28 submitted by a nominating entity as follows:
29 (1) Each of the following shall submit a list of four names, and the lieutenant
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1 governor shall appoint members in a manner described in this Paragraph:
2 (a) Two members One member selected from a list of three names
3 nominated by the Friends of the Cabildo.
4 (b) One member selected from a list of three names nominated by the
5 Louisiana Historical Society.
6 (c) One member selected from a list of three names nominated by the
7 Louisiana Historical Association.
8 (d) One member nominated by the Foundation for Historical Louisiana.
9 (e)(d) One member selected from a list of three names nominated by the
10 Wedell-Williams Memorial Foundation of the Wedell-Williams Aviation and
11 Cypress Sawmill Foundation in Patterson, Inc.
12 (f)(e) Two members One member selected from a list of three names
13 nominated by the Louisiana Museum Foundation.
14 (g)(f) One member selected from a list of three names nominated by the
15 Friends of the Edward Douglass White Historic Site.
16 (h)(g) One member selected from a list of three names nominated by the
17 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation in collaboration with Friends of the
18 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum.
19 (i)(h) One member selected from a list of three names nominated by the
20 Louisiana Civil Rights Museum Advisory Board in collaboration with the Friends
21 of the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum.
22 (j)(i) Two members One member selected from a list of three names
23 nominated by the Friends of Capitol Park Museum.
24 (2)(3) Seven members shall be appointed by the lieutenant governor from
25 the state at large in such manner as to provide that membership on the board will
26 reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of the population of the state and encourage
27 statewide representation on the board.
28 (3)(4)(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1)(2) of this
29 Subsection, should any entity fail to make all or any of the nominations initially
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1 required in Paragraph (1)(2) of this Subsection by August 1, 2008, or within thirty
2 days of the swearing in of a new lieutenant governor thereafter of its receipt of a
3 request for nominations from the appointing authority, the lieutenant governor
4 may make an appointment for that nominating entity's seat on the board from the
5 state at large.
6 (b) A nominee whose name is submitted by more than one entity concurrently
7 shall automatically be disqualified from consideration so long as the nominee
8 remains on multiple lists. The lieutenant governor shall notify the offending
9 nominating entities of the duplicate nominees in writing and each such nominating
10 entity shall have fifteen days from receipt of such notice to resubmit a list of names
11 for consideration. Should an entity fail to submit an un-duplicated list of four names
12 timely, the lieutenant governor may make the appointment for that nominating
13 entity's seat on the board from the state at large.
14 EF.(1) Each appointment by the lieutenant governor and each designee shall
15 be submitted to the Senate for confirmation.
16 (2)(a) For members appointed pursuant to Subsection DE(2) and (3) of this
17 Section, the term of office shall be four years after initial terms as provided in
18 Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph. A member shall serve no more than two
19 consecutive terms.
20 (b) Five Four members shall serve an initial term of one year; five four
21 members shall serve an initial term of two years; five four members shall serve an
22 initial term of three years; five four members shall serve an initial term of four years,
23 as determined by lot at the first meeting of the board held in calendar year 2029.
24 FG.(1)(a) When a vacancy on the board occurs among the members
25 appointed pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph (D)(1)(E)(2) of this Section, the
26 entity that nominated the member shall submit to the lieutenant governor a list of
27 four nominees to fill the vacancy. The lieutenant governor shall fill the vacancy by
28 appointment from among the nominees and the appointment shall be for the
29 remainder of the term.
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1 (b) In the event there is more than one position vacant on the board
2 concurrently, a nominee whose name is submitted by more than one entity shall
3 automatically be disqualified from consideration so long as the nominee remains on
4 multiple lists. The lieutenant governor shall notify the offending nominating entities
5 of the duplicate nominees in writing and each such nominating entity shall have
6 fifteen days from receipt of such notice to resubmit a list of names for consideration.
7 Should an entity fail to submit an un-duplicated list of four three names timely, the
8 lieutenant governor may make the appointment for that nominating entity's seat on
9 the board from the state at large.
10 (c) Should a vacancy occur before January 15, 2029, in one of the two
11 positions on the board that represent the Friends of the Cabildo, the Louisiana
12 Museum Foundation, or the Friends of the Capitol Park Museum, the lieutenant
13 governor shall not appoint a member to fill that vacancy provided that the other
14 position that represents the Friends of the Cabildo, the Louisiana Museum
15 Foundation, or the Friends of the Capitol Park is occupied.
16 (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection,
17 should any entity fail to make any or all nominations required by Paragraph (1) of
18 this Subsection within thirty days after the vacancy occurs, the lieutenant governor
19 may make an appointment for that nominating entity's seat on the board from the
20 state at large.
21 (3) When a vacancy occurs among the at-large members appointed pursuant
22 to the provisions of Paragraph (D)(2)(E)(3) of this Section, then the lieutenant
23 governor shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy within thirty days of the vacancy.
24 The member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve the remainder of the unexpired
25 term.
26 GH. The members of the board shall serve without compensation, but they
27 shall receive their actual expenses incurred in attending any meeting of the board.
28 HI. Each member of the board shall take and subscribe to the oath of office
29 required of state officials.
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1 §342. Domicile; powers and duties of the office of the state museum and the board;
2 buildings and properties administered
3 A.(1) The board of directors shall meet once each quarter, unless additional
4 meetings are called by the lieutenant governor, the secretary of the Department of
5 Culture, Recreation and Tourism, the chairman of the board, or a quorum of the
6 board.
7 (2) The board shall adopt bylaws establishing policies and procedures for its
8 governance, including but not limited to the following:
9 (a) The election and responsibilities of the board's officers, including a
10 chairman and vice chairman to serve terms of two years;
11 (b) The selection, term, compensation, and responsibilities of advisors to the
12 board; and
13 (c) The creation, appointment, compensation, duties, and functions of
14 standing or special committees of the board.
15 (3) A majority Ten members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the
16 transaction of official business. All official actions of the board shall require the
17 affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting.
18 (4) The board shall establish and use an identifying seal pertaining to
19 museum business. The board shall not authorize reports and recommendations which
20 include the issue, publication, or distribution of general information documents or
21 pamphlets, which are published on a regular basis and are generally known as
22 newsletters.
23 (5) The board shall assist the secretary and assistant secretary in establishing
24 fiscal policies, including but not limited to operational budgets and financial controls
25 over existing and new projects provide advice and counsel on matters related to
26 the Louisiana State Museum.
27 (6)B.(1) The museum shall be open to the public. The assistant secretary of
28 the office of the state museum may establish in accordance with the Administrative
29 Procedure Act admission and fees, tour fees, and user or rental fees for any or all
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1 museum buildings and exhibits to be charged by the museum that are open to the
2 public.
3 (2) Such user or rental fees shall reflect the actual cost of maintenance of the
4 space rented used and the market rates for comparable space in the locality of the
5 space rented used.
6 (7)(3) The office of the state museum, through the assistant secretary and in
7 cooperation with nonprofit corporations established to support the Louisiana State
8 Museum, may seek private funding to support the museum's programs.
9 (8)C. The office of the state museum, through the assistant secretary, shall
10 have authority to contract with consulting experts in the fields of museum
11 administration and conservation of paintings, books and papers, and other decorative
12 arts, and with appraisers, buying agents, designers, engineers, attorneys, accountants,
13 construction and financial experts, and other such persons as may be necessary to
14 carry out the purposes of the museum.
15 (9)D. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary and in particular
16 the provisions of R.S. 25:349(B)(5) and R.S. 41:1212, the office of the state
17 museum, through the assistant secretary, may enter into contracts and agreements
18 with any public agency or nonprofit corporation which has been established for the
19 primary purpose of supporting the programs and activities of the Louisiana State
20 Museum, including but not limited to the Friends of the Cabildo, Friends of the
21 Museums of Local Interest, Friends of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
22 Foundation, the Wedell-Williams Memorial Foundation, Inc., and the Louisiana
23 Museum Foundation, for the establishment of offices, stores, or exhibits on the
24 property and in the buildings of the museum. The office of the state museum,
25 through the assistant secretary, may also enter into contracts and agreements for joint
26 construction, equipment, maintenance, and financing of such buildings, and may
27 enter into contracts and agreements for the joint financing, supervision, and conduct
28 of cooperative enterprises and undertakings. Any public agency may enter into
29 contracts and agreements with the office of the state museum for the purposes
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1 provided in this Paragraph.
2 BE.(1) The domicile of the board shall be the city of New Orleans, provided
3 that the office of the state museum may establish additional offices within such
4 museum facilities as it may deem advisable, after consultation with the board.
5 (2) The secretary of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and
6 the assistant secretary of the office of the state museum shall consult with the board
7 with respect to policies for the state museum.
8 (3) The board shall continue to exercise its powers, duties, and functions with
9 respect to accessions, deaccessions, loans, and conservation of museum properties
10 and collections in accordance with professional museum practices as established by
11 the American Alliance of Museums, except as otherwise provided by law; and the
12 members thereof shall continue to serve as trustees for the William Irby Trust.
13 (4) In their capacity as trustees for the William Irby Trust, the members
14 of the board are entitled to receive and review information, documentation,
15 reports, and testimony from the office of the state museum and its contractors
16 to verify that the leasing program provided for in R.S. 25:349 and 350 including
17 revenue generated therefrom is administered in accordance with the
18 comprehensive usage plan adopted by the board, the terms and conditions of the
19 trust, and all provisions of applicable law.
20 (3)(5) The office of the state museum, subject to the provisions of R.S.
21 36:909, shall have custody of and shall administer, manage, operate, maintain, and
22 preserve all of the following:
23 (a) The buildings, collections, and exhibitions of the Louisiana State Museum
24 complex located in the city of New Orleans, including but not limited to the Cabildo,
25 the Presbytere, the Lower Pontalba Building, the Jackson House, the Creole House,
26 the Arsenal, Madame John's Legacy, the 1850 House, the Louisiana Civil Rights
27 Museum, the Museum Storage and Curation facility, and the New Orleans Jazz
28 Museum at the Old United States Mint in New Orleans.
29 (b) The Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation and Cypress Sawmill Museum
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1 in Patterson.
2 (c) The Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame.
3 (d) The Louisiana Forestry Museum The Capitol Park Museum.
4 (e) The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History
5 Museum.
6 (f) The Winn Parish Museum.
7 (g) The Edward Douglass White Historic Site.
8 (h) The Natchitoches Parish Old Courthouse Museum.
9 (i)(g) Other museums, buildings, historic sites, and facilities hereafter
10 established under jurisdiction of the office.
11 C.F.(1) For the prompt and efficient transaction of business, the board may
12 create from its membership an executive committee which shall consist of the
13 chairman and vice chairman of the board and such additional members as shall be
14 provided in bylaws of the board. The executive committee shall have full authority
15 to act for the board at any scheduled board meeting at which a quorum is not present.
16 The members shall record the proceedings of each meeting of the executive
17 committee.
18 (2) A majority of the members of the executive committee shall constitute a
19 quorum for the transaction of business.
20 (3) The executive committee shall meet in those months in which the board
21 does not meet or at the call of the chairman.
22 (4) The executive committee shall consider such matters as are referred to it
23 by the board. It shall execute such orders and resolutions as shall be assigned to it at
24 any meeting of the board, and it shall also take such action as is necessary when an
25 emergency requiring immediate action arises during the interim between board
26 meetings. All acts of the executive committee shall be submitted to the board for
27 ratification or rejection at its next meeting except acts on which the board has
28 delegated to the executive committee full power to act and acts taken at a meeting
29 held because a quorum of the board was not present for a board meeting.
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1 DG. The Louisiana State Museum shall cooperate with Louisiana schools and
2 institutions of higher learning in the teaching of Louisiana history and culture.
3 EH. Except as otherwise provided by law, the board and the professional staff
4 of the Louisiana State Museum shall be governed by the standard of museum ethics
5 as promulgated by the American Association Alliance of Museums. The board may
6 adopt such further standards of ethics as it deems to be in the best interest of the
7 museum.
8 * * *
9 §344. Operating funds
10 The legislature shall provide sufficient funds for the proper professional
11 operation of the properties of the museum as provided in R.S. 25:342(B)(3)
12 Louisiana State Museum, according to accepted standards of museum operations
13 and practices as established by the American Association Alliance of Museums,
14 including a competent professional, technical, and administrative staff, all members
15 of which shall be subject to the civil service laws.
16 §345. Donations and loans; disposition of abandoned loans
17 A. The office of the state museum, through the assistant secretary and in
18 cooperation with the board and nonprofit organizations established to support the
19 Louisiana State Museum, may seek and accept funds, governmental grants,
20 donations, and contributions of lands, buildings, money, relics, works of art, or other
21 property on behalf of and as additions to the museum either in the form of loans or
22 in the form of donations inter vivos or mortis causa, or may acquire them by
23 purchase, lease, or otherwise, subject to the terms, condition, or limitation contained
24 in the instrument by which such property is acquired. However, the office of the
25 state museum, through the assistant secretary, shall be empowered and authorized
26 to enter into any and all contracts with any person, lender, or donor that it may deem
27 fit, proper, and necessary to accept and receive such lands, buildings, money, relics,
28 works of art, or other property on behalf of and as additions to the museum. The
29 museum is specifically empowered to serve as the beneficiary of any public trust
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1 heretofore or hereafter created for such purpose pursuant to the provisions of R.S.
2 9:2341 through 2347.
3 B. The board office of the state museum, through the assistant secretary,
4 is granted the authority of deaccession with respect to any collections of the
5 Louisiana State Museum and for such purpose is specifically exempted from the laws
6 of the state relative to the sale or disposal of surplus property. The board shall
7 establish policies and procedures necessary to carry out this authority in an orderly
8 manner consistent with the standards established by the American Association
9 Alliance of Museums, except as otherwise provided by law.
10 C.(1) Any property which has been deposited with the Louisiana State
11 Museum, by loan or otherwise, and which has been held by the office of the state
12 museum for more than ten years, and to which no person has made claim shall be
13 deemed to be abandoned and, notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 1 of Title
14 XII of Book III of the Louisiana Civil Code, shall become the property of the office
15 of the state museum, provided that the office of the state museum has complied
16 with the following provisions:
17 (2) At least once a week for two consecutive weeks, the office of the state
18 museum shall publish in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the parish
19 in which the particular museum facility is located a notice and listing of the property.
20 The notice shall contain all of the following:
21 (a) The name and last known address, if any, of the last known owner or
22 depositor of the property.
23 (b) A description of the property.
24 (c) A statement that if proof of claim is not presented by the owner to the
25 office of the state museum and if the owner's right to receive such property is not
26 established to the satisfaction of the office of the state museum within sixty-five
27 days from the date of the second published notice, the property will be deemed to be
28 abandoned and shall become the property of the office of the state museum.
29 (3) If no valid claim has been made to the property within sixty-five days
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1 from the date of the second published notice, title to the property shall vest in the
2 office of the state museum free from all claims of the owner and all persons
3 claiming through or under him.
4 §346. Use of museum's collections
5 The collections of the museum Louisiana State Museum may be lent in part
6 subject to approval and in accordance with the collections management policy
7 approved by the board. The office of the state museum shall insure ensure proper
8 safeguards for their maintenance and return and shall insure ensure that proper
9 records are kept. The collections shall be available for the use of educational
10 projects, subject to the approval of the board.
11 §349. Commercial leases; New Orleans French Quarter
12 A. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, and in particular
13 the provisions of R.S. 41:1212, the board of directors of the Louisiana State Museum
14 office of the state museum is authorized to lease or contract with a qualified real
15 estate or property management company to lease, for any purposes other than oil,
16 gas, or other mineral development, commercial space within or on the the Lower
17 Pontalba Building and other properties located in the New Orleans French Quarter
18 of which the board has title to or custody or possession under the ownership,
19 management, jurisdiction, or possession of the office of the state museum,
20 without advertising for and receiving public bids for such leases, provided that such
21 leases are negotiated for and executed according to the terms and conditions
22 contained in this Section.
23 B.(1) The board shall establish a comprehensive usage plan and a lease
24 program for the commercial space within or on the properties located in the New
25 Orleans French Quarter of which the board has title to or custody or possession. The
26 plan shall be in compliance with all of the following:
27 (a) Be compatible with the historic nature of the museum properties.
28 (b) Establish criteria for the acceptance or rejection of lease applications.
29 (c) Be presented at a public meeting of the board with prior notice, by public
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1 advertisement at least once no more than ten days before such meeting is held, that
2 such plan will be discussed at such meeting.
3 (d) Be available to the public, in writing, upon request.
4 (2) No earlier than one month after the adoption of such plan, the board shall
5 review applications for commercial leases at a public meeting after notice by public
6 advertisement at least once no more than ten days before such meeting is held, that
7 such applications will be accepted at such meeting.
8 (3) No earlier than one month after receiving such commercial lease
9 applications the board shall render its decision to accept, reject, or defer such
10 commercial lease applications at a public meeting after prior notice by public
11 advertisement at least once no more than ten days before such meeting is held, that
12 such decision will be rendered at such meeting.
13 (4) In making its decision the board shall determine all of the following:
14 (a) The financial qualifications of applicants.
15 (b) The compatibility of the proposed lease with the historic integrity,
16 structure, and safety of the property, the relationship of the proposed commercial
17 lease with other commercial leases on the property.
18 (c) The impact of the proposed lease on the historic character of the
19 neighborhood in which the properties are located.
20 (5) The board shall fix terms and establish minimum rental fees as
21 determined in the comprehensive usage plan.
22 (6) The board shall accept no applications from nor shall it approve any lease
23 with any state official, board member or his spouse or child, or any person of which
24 he is an officer, director, trustee, partner, or employee, or of which he has a
25 substantial personal economic interest, as distinguished from that of a general class
26 or general group of persons, of which he may be reasonably expected to know. The
27 provisions of this Paragraph are illustrative and not exclusive.
28 (7) All commercial leases approved by the board shall be reviewed by the
29 attorney general and no lease shall be finally approved by the board unless approved
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1 by the attorney general as to form and legality.
2 Any and all commercial leases shall be compatible with a comprehensive
3 usage plan approved by the board of directors of the Louisiana State Museum.
4 The comprehensive usage plan shall include criteria used to evaluate an
5 application for a commercial lease. The evaluation criteria may include but
6 shall not be limited to:
7 (a) The compatibility of the proposed use of the commercial space with
8 the historic nature of the museum property.
9 (b) The relationship and impact of the proposed commercial use on the
10 integrity and safety of the building.
11 (c) The anticipated effect of the proposed commercial use on the integrity
12 and safety of the building.
13 (d) The viability of the applicant's business plan and potential for
14 revenue generation.
15 (e) The financial qualifications of the applicant.
16 (f) Whether the application, proposed use, or resulting lease will result
17 or is likely to result in a violation of the Code of Governmental Ethics or any
18 other applicable law.
19 C. Following its determination that a commercial space is or will become
20 available for lease, the office of the state museum shall provide reasonable
21 public notice and an opportunity to submit applications to lease such
22 commercial space.
23 (1) The public notice shall be posted on the website of the department.
24 (2) The public notice shall provide the date the commercial space will be
25 available for lease; the address of the available commercial space; and how the
26 public may obtain additional information such as lease terms, application
27 requirements, and evaluation criteria.
28 D. All commercial leases shall be reviewed and approved by the attorney
29 general as to form and legality.
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1 §350. Residential leases; New Orleans French Quarter; State Museum Board has
2 title, custody, or possession
3 A. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, and in particular
4 the provisions of R.S. 41:1212, the board of directors of the Louisiana State Museum
5 is hereby office of the state museum is authorized to lease for any residential
6 purposes, or contract with a qualified property management company to lease
7 residential space within the Lower Pontalba Building of which the board has title to
8 or custody or possession of, without advertising for and receiving public bids for
9 such leases, provided that such leases are negotiated for and executed according to
10 the terms and or conditions set forth and contained in this Section.
11 (1) The board shall receive applications from private individuals only
12 Applications for residential leases in the Lower Pontalba Building, and shall
13 approve or reject such applications shall be approved or rejected based on the
14 financial qualifications and prior lease experience of such applicants the applicant.
15 (2) Approved applications shall be placed on file according to the date
16 received and applicants shall be shown available residential lease space according
17 to order of receipt. Upon declination or disqualification of an applicant, the board
18 shall show available residential lease space to the next applicant in order of receipt.
19 The board may remove any applicant from the file who has declined the opportunity
20 to lease on two or more occasions.
21 B. Authorized use of such residential space also specifically includes use
22 by a public agency for a public purpose that benefits the Louisiana State
23 Museum.
24 C. The office of the state museum shall provide reasonable public notice
25 and an opportunity to submit applications to lease such residential space.
26 (1) The public notice shall be posted on the website of the department.
27 (2) The public notice shall provide a description and address of the
28 available residential space; and how the public may obtain additional
29 information such as lease terms, application requirements, and evaluation
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1 criteria.
2 * * *
3 §353. Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum
4 A. The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History
5 Museum is established as a museum, hereinafter hereafter referred to in the
6 Section as "hall of fame" "museum", under the jurisdiction of the office of the state
7 museum of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism and domiciled in
8 Natchitoches, Louisiana.
9 B. The purposes of the hall of fame museum shall be as follows include:
10 (1) Preserve and maintain the names and accomplishments of outstanding
11 Louisiana athletes and sports personalities.
12 (2) Honor individuals inducted into the hall of fame Louisiana Sports Hall
13 of Fame whose achievements in sports have brought distinction to themselves and
14 to the state of Louisiana.
15 (3) Establish and maintain a permanent archive for the collection and display
16 of memorabilia related to the lives and careers of sports legends who are elected for
17 induction to the hall of fame Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
18 (4) Preserve and present the history and culture of Northwest Louisiana.
19 C.(1) A nonprofit organization may be established for supporting to support
20 the programs and activities of the museum, referred to in this Section as "Friends of
21 the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame", which are necessary to maintain the rich
22 heritage of athletics and capture the achievements of the greatest champions in
23 Louisiana history.
24 (2) Friends of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame may:
25 (a)(1) Maintain the property of the hall of fame and all portraits,
26 memorabilia, and collections contained in the museum.
27 (b)(2) Provide for the nomination process for and election of inductees to the
28 hall of fame.
29 (c)(3) Retain and expend any self-generated revenues derived from the
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1 activities of the hall of fame as specified by cooperative agreement pursuant to R.S.
2 25:342(A)(8), including the annual induction ceremony to the hall of fame.
3 D. The office of the state museum shall provide sufficient funds for the
4 operation of the museum facilities as set forth in this Section; however, the office of
5 the state museum shall have no obligation nor make any provision for such operation
6 until unless state funds are specifically appropriated for this purpose.
7 * * *
8 §380.10. Establishment and location; purpose and use
9 A. The Edward Douglass White Historic Site is established as a facility in the
10 parish of Lafourche under the overall jurisdiction of the Department of Culture,
11 Recreation and Tourism, office of the state museum, as more specifically provided
12 in this Chapter and in R.S. 36:801.8 R.S. 25:342.
13 B. The Edward Douglass White Historic Site shall be a prehistorical,
14 historical, cultural, scientific, and technological educational institution in the office
15 of the state museum of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism whose
16 primary purpose shall be to research, collect, preserve, and present, as an educational
17 resource, documents, artifacts, objects of art, buildings, and landscape and the like
18 that reflect the social, political, and legal history, cultural history, natural history, and
19 culture of Louisiana emphasizing the southern region of Louisiana.
20 C. All references to the Edward Douglass White State Commemorative Area
21 shall be deemed to refer to and shall be replaced by the term Edward Douglass White
22 Historic Site.
23 * * *
24 §380.14. Donations and loans; disposition of property
25 A. The Board of Directors of the Louisiana State Museum office of the state
26 museum may solicit and accept funds, governmental grants, donations, and
27 contributions of lands, buildings, monies, relics, works of art, or other property on
28 behalf of and as additions to the Edward Douglass White Historic Site either in the
29 form of loans or in the form of donations inter vivos or mortis causa, and may
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1 acquire them by purchase, lease, or otherwise, subject to the terms, conditions, or
2 limitations contained in the instrument by which such property is acquired. However,
3 the board office of the state museum may enter into any and all contracts with any
4 person, lender, or donor that it may deem fit, proper, and necessary to accept and
5 receive such lands, buildings, monies, relics, works of art, or other property on behalf
6 of and as additions to the Edward Douglass White Historic Site. The Edward
7 Douglass White Historic Site may serve as the beneficiary of any public trust
8 heretofore or hereafter created for such purpose pursuant to the provisions of R.S.
9 9:2341 et seq.
10 B. The board office of the state museum is granted the authority of
11 deaccession with respect to any collection of the Edward Douglass White Historic
12 Site and, for such purpose, is exempted from laws relative to the sale or disposal of
13 surplus property. The board shall establish policies and procedures necessary to carry
14 out this authority in an orderly manner.
15 C.
16 * * *
17 (2)
18 * * *
19 (b) The notice shall contain:
20 * * *
21 (iii) A statement that if proof of claim is not presented by the claimant to the
22 board and if the claimant's right to receive such property is not established to the
23 satisfaction of the board office of the state museum within sixty-five days from the
24 date of the second published notice, the property will be deemed to be abandoned
25 and shall become the property of the Edward Douglass White Historic Site.
26 * * *
27 §380.15. Use of collections
28 Any collection of the Edward Douglass White Historic Site may be lent in
29 part, subject to approval of and in accordance with the collections management
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1 policies approved by the board. The board shall insure ensure proper safeguards for
2 its maintenance and return and shall insure ensure that proper records are kept. The
3 collections shall be available for use in educational projects, subject to the approval
4 of the board. Section 2. R.S. 36:208(C) and 209(A)(3) and (9) are hereby amended
5 and reenacted to read as follows:
6 §208. Offices; purposes and functions
7 * * *
8 C. The office of the state museum shall administer, manage, operate, and
9 maintain the Louisiana State Museum, including all buildings, collections, and
10 exhibitions of the Louisiana State Museum complex in New Orleans and other
11 museums which may be established under the jurisdiction of the museum; except that
12 the board of directors of the Louisiana State Museum shall continue to exercise its
13 powers, duties, and functions with respect to accessions and deaccessions of museum
14 properties and collections, and the members thereof shall continue to serve as
15 trustees for the William Irby Trust as provided by law.
16 * * *
17 §209. Transfer of boards, commissions, departments, and agencies to Department of
18 Culture, Recreation and Tourism
19 A. The following agencies are transferred to and hereafter shall be within the
20 Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in accordance with the provisions
21 of R.S. 36:901 et seq. except as otherwise provided by this Subsection:
22 * * *
23 (3) The Board of Directors of the Louisiana State Museum (R.S. 25:341 et
24 seq.). The board shall continue to exercise those powers, duties, and functions with
25 respect to accessions, deaccessions, loans, and conservation of the buildings,
26 collections, and exhibitions of the Louisiana State Museum which it is authorized by
27 law to exercise, all in accordance with professional museum practices as established
28 by the American Association of Museums, except as otherwise provided by law; and
29 the members of the board shall continue to serve as trustees for the William Irby
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1 Trust.
2 * * *
3 (9) The Louisiana Civil Rights Museum Advisory Board (R.S. 25:841 et
4 seq.). The board shall exercise and perform its powers, duties, functions, and
5 responsibilities in accordance with accepted standards of museum operations and
6 practices as established by the American Association of Museums.
7 * * *
8 Section 3. R.S. 25:351, 352, and 380.11 are hereby repealed.
9 Section 4. R.S. 36:801.8 is hereby repealed.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Senate Legislative Services.
The keyword, summary, 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)]
DIGEST
SB 210 Original 2025 Regular Session Cloud
Present law provides for the organization and structure of the office of the state museum.
Proposed law changes the membership of the board; allows current board members to
complete their terms; and provides for transition.
Proposed law corrects the names of properties included in the Louisiana State Museum
(LSM) system.
Proposed law clarifies that LSM will manage its collections in accordance with a board
approved plan and American Alliance of Museums compliant collections management
manual.
Proposed law provides regarding the commercial and residential leasing of properties and
allows the outsourcing of the management of the leasing program.
Effective August 1, 2025.
(Amends R.S. 25:341, 342, 344, 345, 346, 349, 350, 353, 380.10, 380.14(A), (B), and
(C)(2)(b)(iii), and 380.15 and R.S. 36:208(C) and 209(A)(3) and (9); repeals R.S. 25:351,
352, and 380.11 and R.S. 36:801.8)
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