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HLS 26RS-1179 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 836
BY REPRESENTATIVE HILFERTY
LEVEES/BDS & DISTRICTS: Modifies the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection
Authority-East and the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 38:330.1(B)(2)(a)(introductory paragraph) and (b) and
3 (C)(1)(a)(i), relative to the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East and
4 Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West Bank; to provide for the duties
5 and qualifications of the board; to provide for the protection of existing rights,
6 contracts, or obligations of certain districts; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 38:330.1(B)(2)(a)(introductory paragraph) and (b) and (C)(1)(a)(i)
9 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
10 §330.1. Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East and Southeast
11 Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West Bank; territorial jurisdiction;
12 board of commissioners; appointments; terms; compensation; vacancy;
13 officers; meetings; domicile
14 * * *
15 B. Each flood protection authority, through its board of commissioners as
16 provided for in this Section, shall exercise all authority over and have management,
17 oversight, and control of the following territories as provided by law for the boards
18 of commissioners of such levee districts to which the authority is a successor and to
19 the extent provided for in this Part:
20 * * *
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1179 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 836
1 (2)(a) The following levee districts and parts of levee districts and parishes
2 shall be included within the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West
3 Bank and shall work together to safeguard the public against flooding, storm surge,
4 and other potential flood-related issues:
5 * * *
6 (b) These lands and all property thereon situated, not exempt from taxation,
7 shall be subject to the provisions of this Chapter. However, nothing in this Section
8 shall be construed to impair any existing rights, contracts, or obligations of these
9 districts or parishes.
10 C.(1)
11 * * *
12 (a) The board of commissioners of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection
13 Authority-East shall be composed of nine members, one member from St. Bernard
14 Parish, two members from Jefferson Parish, three members from Orleans Parish who
15 shall reside within the territorial jurisdiction of the authority, and three members who
16 do not reside within the territorial jurisdiction of the authority. The members shall
17 be appointed by the governor from nominations submitted by the nominating
18 committee as follows:
19 (i) Four members who shall either be an engineer or a professional in a
20 related field such as geotechnical, hydraulic and hydrological, or environmental
21 science. Of the four members, one member shall be a civil engineer.
22 * * *
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)]
HB 836 Original 2026 Regular Session Hilferty
Abstract: Requires the West Bank levee districts to safeguard public flood-related risks and
prohibits the impairment of existing rights or obligations of such districts. Requires
at least four board members of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-
East to be engineers or professionals in hydraulic sciences, in addition to
geotechnical, hydrological, and environmental science.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1179 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 836
Present law requires each flood protection authority, through its board of commissioners, to
exercise all authority and have management, oversight, and control over the territories of the
levee districts to which it is a successor, to the extent provided by law. Provides for the
levee districts and parts of levee districts and parishes within the Southeast La. Flood
Protection Authority–West Bank (SLFPA-W).
Proposed law retains present law and requires that each authority work together to safeguard
the public from flooding, storm surge, and other flood-related issues.
Present law includes the West Jefferson and Algiers Levee Districts, along with parts of their
parishes, within the SLFPA-W, and subjects all lands and property thereon, not exempt from
taxation, to the provisions of present law.
Proposed law retains present law and prohibits anything in present law from being construed
to impair any existing rights, contracts, or obligations of these districts or parishes.
Present law requires that the board of commissioners of the Southeast La. Flood Protection
Authority–East be composed of nine members—one from St. Bernard Parish, two from
Jefferson Parish, three from Orleans Parish residing within the authority’s jurisdiction, and
three from outside the jurisdiction—appointed by the governor from nominations submitted
by the nominating committee. Further requires that four members either be an engineer or
a professional in a related field such as geotechnical, hydrological, or environmental science.
Additionally, requires that one of the four members be a civil engineer.
Proposed law retains present law and adds hydraulic science as another professional field
for member related experience.
(Amends R.S. 38:330.1(B)(2)(a)(intro. para.) and (b) and (C)(1)(a)(i))
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.