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ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 247
BY REPRESENTATIVE CARRIER
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 33:2740.70.11 and to repeal R.S. 33:4574(B)(3), 4574.1.1(A)(3), and 4574.14,
3 relative to Allen Parish; to create the Allen Parish Economic Development District;
4 to provide relative to the boundaries, purpose, governance, and powers and duties of
5 the district; to provide for district funding; to provide relative to the Allen Parish
6 Tourist Commission; to provide relative to the governing board of the commission;
7 to provide relative to the compensation of board members; to provide relative to
8 taxes levied by the commission; to repeal provisions that provide for the creation of
9 the commission; to abolish the commission; to provide relative to the funds and
10 property of the commission; and to provide for related matters.
11 Notice of intention to introduce this Act has been published
12 as provided by Article III, Section 13 of the Constitution of
13 Louisiana.
14 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
15 Section 1. R.S. 33:2740.70.11 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
16 §2740.70.11. Allen Parish Economic Development District
17 A. There is hereby created within the parish of Allen, as more specifically
18 provided in Subsection B of this Section, a body politic and corporate which shall
19 be known as the Allen Parish Economic Development District, referred to in this
20 Section as the "district". The district shall be a political subdivision of the state as
21 defined in the Constitution of Louisiana.
22 B. The boundaries of the district shall encompass all of the territorial
23 jurisdiction of the parish of Allen.
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1 C. The district is created to provide for cooperative economic and
2 community development among the district, the parish, the state, and the owners of
3 property in the district; to provide for tourism-related initiatives; to enhance the
4 development of and improvement to the property within the area of the district; to
5 develop stable and more extensive employment opportunities; to improve
6 infrastructure; and to promote the overall welfare of the citizens of the district.
7 D.(1) In order to provide for the orderly development of the district and
8 effect the purposes of the district, the district shall be administered and governed by
9 a board of commissioners, referred to in this Section as the "board", composed of
10 five members as follows:
11 (a) The president of the Allen Parish Industrial Development Board.
12 (b) The president of the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce.
13 (c) The president of the Kinder Chamber of Commerce.
14 (d) The president of the governing authority of the parish of Allen.
15 (e) The member of the Louisiana House of Representatives whose district
16 encompasses all or the greater portion of the area of the district, or his designee.
17 (2) The members of the board shall serve during their terms of office. Any
18 designee shall serve at the pleasure of the designating authority.
19 (3) The board shall elect from its members a president, a vice president, a
20 secretary, a treasurer, and such other officers as it may deem necessary. The duties
21 of the officers shall be fixed by the bylaws adopted by the board.
22 (4) The minute books and archives of the district shall be maintained by the
23 secretary of the board. The monies, funds, and accounts of the district shall be in the
24 official custody of the board.
25 (5) The board shall adopt such rules and regulations as it deems necessary
26 or advisable for conducting its business affairs. It shall hold regular meetings as
27 shall be provided for in the bylaws and may hold special meetings at such times and
28 places within the district as may be prescribed in the bylaws.
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1 (6) A majority of the voting members of the board shall constitute a quorum
2 for the transaction of business. The board shall keep minutes of all meetings and
3 shall make them available through the secretary of the board to residents of the
4 district.
5 (7) The members of the board shall serve without compensation; however,
6 they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred while attending to the business of the
7 board or the district.
8 E.(1) The district, acting by and through its board, shall have and exercise
9 all powers of a political subdivision necessary or convenient for carrying out its
10 objects and purposes, including but not limited to the following:
11 (a) To sue and to be sued.
12 (b) To adopt, use, and alter at will a corporate seal.
13 (c) To adopt bylaws and rules and regulations.
14 (d) To receive by gift, grant, or donation any sum of money, property, aid,
15 or assistance from the United States, the state of Louisiana, or any political
16 subdivision thereof, or any person, firm, or corporation.
17 (e) To enter into contracts, agreements, or cooperative endeavors with the
18 state and its political subdivisions or political corporations and with any public or
19 private association, corporation, business entity, or individual.
20 (f) To appoint officers, agents, and employees; prescribe their duties; and
21 fix their compensation.
22 (g) To acquire by purchase, gift, grant, donation, or lease property as may
23 be necessary or desirable for carrying out the objectives and purposes of the board.
24 (h) To perform any other necessary and ancillary acts to effectuate its
25 functions, to perform its duties, or to give effect to its powers in accordance with this
26 Section.
27 (2) The board shall not exercise any power, except the power to levy a
28 occupancy tax as authorized in this Section, without the approval of the governing
29 authority of the parish of Allen.
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1 F.(1) The district may levy and collect a tax upon the paid occupancy of
2 hotel rooms and overnight camping facilities located within the district. The
3 occupancy tax shall not exceed three percent of the rent or fee charged for such
4 occupancy.
5 (2)(a) The term "hotel" as used in this Section shall have the same definition
6 as that contained in R.S. 47:301(6).
7 (b) The term "overnight camping facility" as used in this Section shall mean
8 any commercial establishment providing space and utilities in order to accommodate
9 recreational vehicles on a temporary, overnight basis.
10 (3) The person who exercises or is entitled to occupancy of the hotel room
11 or overnight camping facility shall pay the occupancy tax at the time the rent or fee
12 for occupancy is paid. "Person" as used in this Paragraph shall have the same
13 definition as that contained in R.S. 47:301(8).
14 (4) The occupancy tax shall be in addition to all taxes levied upon the
15 occupancy of hotel rooms and overnight camping facilities located within the city.
16 (5) The district may enter into a contract with any public entity authorized
17 to collect sales or use taxes, under terms and conditions it considers appropriate,
18 including payment of a reasonable collection fee for the collection of the occupancy
19 tax authorized in this Subsection.
20 (6) Any monies received by the district shall be used exclusively for the
21 benefit of the district.
22 G.(1) The board shall prepare or cause to be prepared a plan or plans
23 specifying the public improvements, facilities, and services proposed to be furnished,
24 constructed, or acquired for the district and shall conduct public hearings, publish
25 notice with respect thereto, and disseminate information as it, in the exercise of its
26 sound discretion, deems appropriate or advisable and in the public interest.
27 (2) Any plan may specify and encompass any public services, capital
28 improvements, and facilities which the parish of Allen is authorized to undertake,
29 furnish, or provide under the constitution and laws of the state of Louisiana, and the
30 specified public services, improvements, and facilities shall be special and in
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1 addition to all services, improvements, and facilities which the parish is then
2 furnishing or providing or may then or in the future be obligated to furnish or
3 provide within the district.
4 (3) Any plan shall include an estimate of the annual and total cost of
5 acquiring, constructing, or providing the services, improvements, or facilities set
6 forth therein.
7 H.(1) The board shall adopt an annual budget in accordance with the
8 Louisiana Local Government Budget Act, R.S. 39:1301 et seq.
9 (2) The district shall be subject to audit by the legislative auditor pursuant
10 to R.S. 24:513.
11 I. All state officers and agencies are authorized at their discretion to render
12 such services to the district within their respective functions as may be requested by
13 the district. In addition, the district and such agencies are authorized to enter into
14 such contracts, cooperative endeavor agreements, or other agreements necessary or
15 convenient to carry out the purposes of this Section.
16 Section 2. R.S. 33:4574(B)(3), 4574.1.1(A)(3), and 4574.14 are hereby repealed in
17 their entirety.
18 Section 3. All remaining funds and property of the Allen Parish Tourist Commission
19 shall be transferred to the Allen Parish Economic Development District. The funds shall be
20 held in a separate account and shall be used for the purpose of attracting conventions and
21 tourists into the area and former jurisdiction of the commission.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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