PORTS/NEW ORLEANS: Provides relative to the membership the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans

HLS 26RS-965 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 871
BY REPRESENTATIVE CARVER
PORTS/NEW ORLEANS: Provides relative to the membership the Board of
Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 34:1(A)(1) and (2), (C), (E)(4), (G), (H), 3, and 26 and to enact
3 R.S. 34:1(B)(4), (E)(5), and (F)(4), relative to the membership of the board of
4 commissioners of the Port of New Orleans; to increase the membership of the board;
5 to provide for the method of appointment and the sequence of filling vacancies; to
6 establish the nominating organization for St. Tammany Parish; to provide for the
7 nominating agencies; to provide for quorum, officers, and meetings of the board; to
8 provide for the appointment and oversight of port and harbor police; and to provide
9 for related matters.
10 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
11 Section 1. R.S. 34:1(A)(1) and (2), (C), (E)(4), (G), (H), 3, and 26 are hereby
12 amended and reenacted and R.S. 34:1(B)(4), (E)(5), and (F)(4) are hereby enacted to read
13 as follows:
14 §1. Continuation; qualifications; appointments; terms; vacancies
15 A. Membership; qualifications; vacancies.
16 (1) The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans, hereinafter
17 referred to as "the board" is continued. The number of members comprising the
18 board shall be seven nine, who shall be qualified voters, four of whom shall each
19 have his principal place of business in the parish of Orleans, two of whom shall each
20 have his principal place of business in the parish of Jefferson, and one of whom shall
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1 have his principal place of business in the parish of St. Bernard, and two of whom
2 shall have his principal place of business in the parish of St. Tammany. The four
3 members from the parish of Orleans shall fill the positions on the board to be
4 designated as Positions D, E, F, and G; the two members from the parish of Jefferson
5 shall fill the positions on the board to be designated as Positions A and C; and the
6 member from the parish of St. Bernard shall fill the position on the board to be
7 designated as Position B; and the two members from the parish of St. Tammany shall
8 fill the positions on the board to be designated as H and I or as required by Paragraph
9 (2) of this Subsection.
10 (2) On or after October 1, 1976, vacancies occurring because of expiration
11 of term and the two additional memberships created by this Act* shall be filled in
12 such manner that the first such vacancy occurring shall be filled by a member who
13 shall hold Position A, and each such subsequent vacancy shall be filled in sequence
14 by members holding Positions B, C, D, E, F, and G, H, and I, respectively. Any
15 vacancy occurring prior to October 1, 1976, shall be filled in the same manner in
16 which the position was initially filled.
17 * * *
18 B. Nominating agencies.
19 * * *
20 (4) For the purpose of selecting nominees for the two members, each of
21 whom shall be appointed by the governor from the nominees selected by the St.
22 Tammany Parish nominating organization, the following agencies shall constitute
23 and shall be designated as the St. Tammany Parish nominating organization:
24 (a) St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation.
25 (b) Northshore Business Council.
26 (c) St. Tammany Parish Chamber of Commerce.
27 (d) Louisiana Farm Bureau.
28 (e) Port Maritime Council of Greater New Orleans and Vicinity.
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1 C. Nominating Councils; selection of nominees. Each nominating
2 organization shall have a nominating council on which shall be seated the presidents
3 or recognized heads of the nominating agencies of that nominating organization, as
4 enumerated in Subsections (B)(1), (2), and (3), and (4), respectively, of this Section.
5 Nominees to the governor for appointment to the board shall be selected by the
6 nominating council of the appropriate nominating organization from among those
7 named by the nominating agencies of said nominating organization as required by
8 this Section.
9 * * *
10 E. Nominees submitted by nominating organizations.
11 * * *
12 (4) Within ten days after notification of a vacancy or vacancies in Position
13 H or I, the first listed nominating agency of St. Tammany Parish nominating
14 organization shall submit in writing to the members of its nominating council the
15 names of two persons having the qualifications set forth in this Section as nominees
16 for each such vacancy or vacancies. Thereafter, the remaining nominating agencies
17 of that nominating organization, in the order in which they are listed in Paragraph
18 (B)(4) of this Section and within intervals of five days each, shall consecutively
19 submit in like manner, the names of two nominees for each such vacancy.
20 (4) (5) No person shall be eligible for nomination if he has been previously
21 nominated by another nominating agency. In all cases, signed copies of the
22 communications to the appropriate nominating council transmitting the names of the
23 nominees shall be sent to the governing bodies of the other nominating agencies
24 F. Certification to governor.
25 * * *
26 (4) As soon as the names of the nominees for Positions H and I as selected
27 by the appropriate nominating agencies have been received, or in any event within
28 ten days after the last delay for the submission of the names of nominees for
29 Positions H and I have expired, the St. Tammany Parish Nominating Council, at a
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1 meeting convened on the written call of any member thereof, shall certify to the
2 governor for such vacancy then existing the names of three nominees from among
3 the nominees whose names have been submitted to it by the nominating agencies of
4 the St. Tammany Parish nominating organization, and from among the nominees
5 thus certified the governor shall make an appointment or appointments to fill such
6 vacancy.
7 G. Nominating agencies; identity. The nominating agencies listed in
8 Subsections (B)(1), (2), and (3), and (4) of this Section shall be understood and
9 construed to be the agencies presently existing and designated by the names listed
10 in Subsections (B)(1), (2), and (3), and (4) or their respective legal successors.
11 H. Dissolution of nominating agencies; effect. If any of the nominating
12 agencies listed in Subsections (B)(1), (2), and (3), and (4) of this Section ceases to
13 exist or to function, without any legal successor, the nominees to be submitted to the
14 appropriate nominating council as provided in Subsection E of this Section, shall be
15 submitted by the nominating agencies of the appropriate nominating organization
16 that continue to exist and function.
17 * * *
18 §3. Officers of board; meetings
19 The board of commissioners shall elect from its membership, a chairman, a
20 vice chairman and a secretary-treasurer, whose duties shall be those usual to such
21 officers. The board shall meet once a month in regular session. They shall meet in
22 special sessions as often as the chairman of the board convenes them, or on written
23 request of four members. Four Five members of the board shall constitute a quorum
24 for the transaction of business. The board shall prescribe rules to govern its
25 meetings, and shall keep suitable offices convenient to the business center of the city
26 of New Orleans.
27 * * *
28 §26. Port and harbor police
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1 The board of commissioners may, in its discretion, appoint, fix salaries of,
2 and pay port and harbor police; said police to consist of such number of men of good
3 character and citizens of the state, not under 21 years of age. Each of the port and
4 harbor police so appointed shall furnish bond in a sum to be fixed by the board of
5 commissioners at not less than one thousand dollars, conditioned on the faithful
6 performance of his duties, and any person injured or damaged by any port or harbor
7 police may sue upon said bond. The port and harbor police shall have, under the
8 direction and control of the board of commissioners, the same power to make arrests,
9 in and upon the property within the jurisdiction of the board and approaches thereto,
10 and to execute and return all criminal warrants and processes, as sheriffs of this state
11 have, and shall under the same direction and authority, have all the powers of sheriffs
12 as peace officers in all places and on all premises under the jurisdiction and control
13 of the board, and the streets and approaches thereto. Any persons arrested by
14 officers of the board and the return of all warrants or processes served by said
15 officers shall be forthwith surrendered or delivered to the criminal sheriff of the
16 Parish of Orleans or sheriffs of St. Bernard, and Jefferson, and St. Tammany
17 parishes; provided this shall in no way deprive the New Orleans city police or any
18 sheriff or deputy sheriff in the parishes of Orleans, St. Bernard, or Jefferson, or St.
19 Tammany from making arrests or from serving warrants or process of court in any
20 such place or on any such premises. The board of commissioners shall make rules
21 and regulations for the conduct, management and control of the port and harbor
22 police, and shall, from time to time, enlarge, modify or change such rules and
23 regulations in its discretion.
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 871 Original 2026 Regular Session Carver
Abstract: Increases the membership of the board of commissioners of the Port of New
Orleans by adding two board members from St. Tammany Parish and updates
provisions of state law regarding board operations and law enforcement under its
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authority. Establishes the St. Tammany Parish nominating organization and its
member agencies and provides for the sequence and certification of nominees to the
governor.
Present law provides for a seven-members board of commissioners of the Port of New
Orleans, with members required to be qualified voters and to have their principal place of
business in specified parishes, namely four members in Orleans Parish, two in Jefferson
Parish, and one in St. Bernard Parish, and assigns specific board positions (A–G) based on
parish representation.
Proposed law modifies present law by increasing the number of board members from seven
to nine with the addition of two members from St. Tammany Parish and two additional
positions, H and I.
Present law requires that vacancies occurring on or after Oct. 1, 1976, due to term expiration
or the creation of additional memberships be filled sequentially by board positions A through
G, and that any vacancy occurring prior to Oct. 1, 1976 be filled in the same manner as the
original appointment.
Proposed law modifies present law by including Positions H and I in the sequence for filling
vacancies.
Present law provides for the nominating agencies in the parishes of Orleans, Jefferson, and
St. Bernard.
Proposed law retains present law and establishes a St. Tammany Parish nominating
organization to select nominees for the two board members who will be appointed by the
governor. The nominating agencies are as follows:
(1) St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation.
(2) Northshore Business Council.
(3) St. Tammany Parish Chamber of Commerce.
(4) Louisiana Farm Bureau.
(5) Port Maritime Council of Greater New Orleans and Vicinity.
Present law requires each nominating organization to have a nominating council composed
of the presidents or recognized heads of its member agencies, which selects nominees for
the governor’s appointment to the board from among those submitted by the nominating
agencies.
Proposed law retains present law and adds that the St. Tammany nominating organization
is included among the nominating organizations.
Present law provides for the process in which nominees are submitted by the nominating
organizations and the certification of the governor.
Proposed law retains present law and extends this process to Positions H and I, establishing
the sequence and timing for submission of nominees by the St. Tammany Parish nominating
organization and the certification of three nominees to the governor for appointment.
Present law provides that the nominating agencies listed in present law are the agencies
currently existing under those names or their legal successors.
Proposed law modifies present law to include references to the St. Tammany Parish
nominating organization and its agencies.
Present law provides that if any of the nominating agencies listed in present law ceases to
exist or function without a legal successor, the remaining agencies of the nominating
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organization that continue to exist shall submit nominees to the appropriate nominating
council.
Proposed law modifies present law to include the St. Tammany Parish nominating
organization in the event a nominating agency ceases to exist or function.
Present law requires the board of commissioner to elect a chairman, vice chairman, and
secretary-treasurer and hold regular monthly meetings and special sessions as called. Further
requires four members to constitute a quorum; and authorizes the board to adopt meeting
rules and maintain offices in New Orleans.
Proposed law modifies present law by changing the quorum from four to five.
Present law authorizes the board of commissioners to appoint and pay port and harbor police
who meet the required qualifications and oversee their duties and authority within the
board’s jurisdiction, with arrests and warrants to be coordinated with the criminal sheriff of
the Parish of Orleans or sheriffs of St. Bernard and Jefferson, and without limiting the New
Orleans city police or any sheriff or deputy in Orleans, St. Bernard, or Jefferson parishes
from performing their law enforcement duties.
Proposed law modifies present law to include St. Tammany Parish in the coordination of
port and harbor police duties and law enforcement authority.
(Amends R.S. 34:1(A)(1) and (2), (C), (E)(4), (G), (H), 3, and 26; Adds R.S. 34:1(B)(4),
(E)(5), and (F)(4))
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