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SLS 26RS-86 REENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 56
BY SENATORS CONNICK, ABRAHAM, BARTHELEMY, BASS, CARTER,
DUPLESSIS, FESI, FOIL, HARRIS, HENRY, LUNEAU, MORRIS,
STINE AND WOMACK
LEVEES. Provides for the reorganization of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection
Authority-West Bank and the Lafitte Area Independent Levee District. (8/1/26)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 38:291(Y), 330.1(B)(2)(a), the introductory paragraph of
3 330.1(C)(1)(b), 330.1(C)(1)(b)(iii), 330.3(A), (B)(1), and (C)(1), and 330.10(A),
4 relative to the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West Bank and
5 Lafitte Area Independent Levee District; to provide for renaming the Lafitte Area
6 Independent Levee District; to provide for the board of commissioners for the
7 Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West Bank and Lafitte Area
8 Independent Levee District; to provide for legal proceedings; to direct the Louisiana
9 State Law Institute to change statutory references as necessary; and to provide for
10 related matters.
11 Notice of intention to introduce this Act has been published.
12 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
13 Section 1. R.S. 38:291(Y), 330.1(B)(2)(a), the introductory paragraph of
14 330.1(C)(1)(b), 330.1(C)(1)(b)(iii), 330.3(A), (B)(1), and (C)(1), and 330.10(A) are hereby
15 amended and reenacted to read as follows:
16 §291. Naming; limits of districts; composition of boards
17 * * *
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1 Y. Lafitte Area Independent Levee District. (1)(a) The West Jefferson Levee
2 District as it existed on January 1, 2011, is reorganized as provided by this Paragraph
3 and as provided by Paragraph (R)(1) of this Section. The Lafitte Area Independent
4 Levee District as it existed on January 1, 2011, is reorganized as provided by this
5 Paragraph and as provided by this Subsection shall be comprised of all of the lands
6 in the parish of Jefferson, lying north of Latitude 29° 17' 52" N and lying south of
7 29° 47' 00" N.
8 (b) These lands and all property thereon situated, not exempt from taxation,
9 shall be subject to the provisions of this Chapter.
10 (2) The governor shall appoint, subject to Senate confirmation, a board of
11 commissioners consisting of five persons who reside in that portion of Jefferson
12 Parish located within the levee district and who meet the requirements of R.S.
13 38:304(A) as follows:
14 (a) One member shall be appointed from a list containing three nominations
15 from the governing authority of Jean Lafitte.
16 (2)(a) On and after August 1, 2026, the district shall be governed by the
17 board of commissioners of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-
18 West Bank pursuant to authority granted by Article VI, Sections 38 and 38.1 of
19 the Constitution of Louisiana and as provided in this Chapter.
20 (b) Four members shall be appointed at-large from a list of six nominations
21 submitted jointly by the legislative delegation representing that portion of Jefferson
22 Parish located within the levee district.
23 (c) Members shall be nominated and appointed such that there are always at
24 least two professionals with at least ten years of experience in their respective
25 professional disciplines on the board, one of whom shall be an engineer.
26 (3) A vacancy created whether by reason of death, resignation, expiration of
27 term, or any other cause of a member of the board shall be filled in the same manner
28 as provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection.
29 (4)(a) The members of the board initially appointed shall at their first meeting
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1 determine by lot their terms of office, which terms shall commence immediately
2 upon their appointment and shall expire, respectively, as follows: one member in two
3 years, two members in three years, and two members in four years, from the first day
4 of July immediately succeeding such appointment. Thereafter all terms shall be four
5 years.
6 (b) No member shall serve more than four consecutive four-year terms.
7 However, if a person has been appointed to fill more than one-half of an unexpired
8 term, such person shall be eligible to serve consecutively no more than three terms
9 in addition to such partial term.
10 (5) The official domicile of the board of the district shall be established by
11 the board.
12 (6) The district shall have such taxing authority as authorized by Article VI,
13 Section 39(A) and (B) of the Constitution of Louisiana and other applicable
14 provisions of law.
15 (7) Any books, records, documents, movable property, lands, or immovable
16 property owned by the West Jefferson Levee District situated within the Lafitte Area
17 Independent Levee District, that are owned by or in the possession of the West
18 Jefferson Levee District and that are situated in or pertain to the operations in the
19 jurisdiction of the Lafitte Area Independent Levee District shall, on June 29, 2011,
20 become property of and shall be transferred to the Lafitte Area Independent Levee
21 District without the necessity of any other act, instrument, or deed.
22 * * *
23 §330.1. Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East and Southeast
24 Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West Bank; territorial
25 jurisdiction; board of commissioners; appointments; terms;
26 compensation; vacancy; officers; meetings; domicile
27 * * *
28 B. Each flood protection authority, through its board of commissioners as
29 provided for in this Section, shall exercise all authority over and have management,
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1 oversight, and control of the following territories as provided by law for the boards
2 of commissioners of such levee districts to which the authority is a successor and to
3 the extent provided for in this Part:
4 * * *
5 (2)(a) The following levee districts and parts of levee districts and parishes
6 shall be included within the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West
7 Bank:
8 (i) West Jefferson Levee District.
9 (ii) The Algiers Levee District.
10 (iii) The Lafitte Area Levee District.
11 * * *
12 C.(1) There is hereby created a board of commissioners for each flood
13 protection authority as follows:
14 * * *
15 (b) The board of commissioners of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection
16 Authority-West Bank shall be composed of seven nine members of whom two three
17 shall reside in Jefferson Parish on the west side of the Mississippi River within the
18 jurisdiction of the authority West Jefferson Levee District, one shall reside within
19 the territorial jurisdiction of the Lafitte Area Levee District, two shall reside in
20 Orleans Parish on the west side of the Mississippi River, and three shall reside
21 outside of Jefferson and Orleans parishes. The members shall be appointed by the
22 governor from nominations submitted by the nominating committee as follows:
23 * * *
24 (iii) One member Three members who shall possess the qualifications set
25 forth in either Item (i) or (ii) of this Subparagraph.
26 * * *
27 §330.3. Levee district and board reorganization; transfer of authority; obligations;
28 taxes; lands
29 A.(1)(a) Any legal proceeding to which the East Jefferson Levee District,
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1 Lake Borgne Basin Levee District, Orleans Levee District, or West Jefferson Levee
2 District is a party and which is filed, initiated, or pending before any court on
3 January 1, 2007, and all documents involved in or affected by said legal proceeding,
4 shall retain its effectiveness and shall be continued in the name of the district. Other
5 than the district or districts originally named as party to the proceedings, neither an
6 authority or district within the territorial jurisdiction of the authority shall have any
7 liability for actions pending or claims arising prior to the effective date of this
8 Section.
9 (b) Any legal proceeding to which the Lafitte Area Levee District is a
10 party and which is filed, initiated or pending before any court on August 1,
11 2026, and all documents involved in or affected by any legal proceeding, shall
12 retain its effectiveness and shall be continued in the name of the Lafitte Area
13 Levee District.
14 (c) Other than the district or districts originally named as a party to the
15 proceedings, neither an authority or district within the territorial jurisdiction
16 of the authority shall have any liability for actions pending or claims arising
17 prior to August 1, 2026.
18 (b)(d) Neither an authority nor any district within the territorial jurisdiction
19 of the authority shall have any liability for actions or claims other than the district
20 against which the actions or claims arise.
21 (c)(e) Except as provided in this Subparagraph, Paragraph (B)(4) of this
22 Section, and R.S. 38:330.8(B), no provision of law providing the Southeast
23 Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East or Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection
24 Authority-West Bank with any authority over and management, oversight, and
25 control of the areas and levee districts provided for in R.S. 38:330.2(A) shall be
26 construed or interpreted to make the taxes levied by, or other revenue of, a levee
27 district within the territorial jurisdiction of the authority payable for the liability of
28 another levee district, or for any liability of the authority when acting on behalf of
29 another levee district. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary,
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1 taxes and other revenues generated in one or more levee districts within the
2 jurisdiction of a levee authority may be used within any portion of the territorial
3 jurisdiction of the authority if use of the funds will benefit all or a portion of the
4 authority and the levee districts from which the taxes or revenues are generated.
5 (2) All obligations and unfinished business of the East Jefferson Levee
6 District, Lake Borgne Basin Levee District, Orleans Levee District, and West
7 Jefferson Levee District, and Lafitte Area Levee District shall be managed on
8 behalf of the districts by the appropriate authority.
9 (3) All outstanding indebtedness of the East Jefferson Levee District, Lake
10 Borgne Basin Levee District, Orleans Levee District, and West Jefferson Levee
11 District, and Lafitte Area Levee District shall remain with the district and shall not
12 be a liability of any authority.
13 B.(1) The proceeds of all taxes collected on all property taxed in the parishes
14 of Jefferson, Orleans, and St. Bernard for the purpose of constructing and
15 maintaining levees, levee drainage, flood protection, hurricane flood protection, and
16 for all other purposes incidental thereto, by or on behalf of the Algiers Levee
17 District, East Jefferson Levee District, Lake Borgne Basin Levee District, Orleans
18 Levee District, or West Jefferson Levee District, or Lafitte Area Levee District,
19 and, except as provided in R.S. 38:330.12, any other revenue from operations of such
20 districts shall be administered by the board of commissioners of the applicable flood
21 protection authority; however, the taxes and other revenues of each such levee
22 district shall only be used and expended for the purposes of such district.
23 * * *
24 C.(1) Any books, records, documents, funds, movable property, lands or
25 immovable property owned by the Algiers Levee District, East Jefferson Levee
26 District, Lake Borgne Basin Levee District, Orleans Levee District, and West
27 Jefferson Levee District, and Lafitte Area Levee District shall be retained as
28 property of the respective levee district in which such property is situated, but shall
29 be managed by the applicable flood protection authority, except as provided in R.S.
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1 38:330.12.
2 * * *
3 §330.10. Statutory reference
4 A. Subject to the limitations of liability as set forth in R.S. 38:330.3,
5 whenever a reference to the "board of commissioners", "levee board" or "board of
6 levee commissioners" of the Algiers Levee District, East Jefferson Levee District,
7 Lake Borgne Basin Levee District, Orleans Levee District, or West Jefferson Levee
8 District, or Lafitte Area Levee District appears in any statute, or in a contract, or
9 a legal pleading, or in any other document, that reference shall be deemed to be a
10 reference to the board of commissioners of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection
11 Authority-East or the board of commissioners of the Southeast Louisiana Flood
12 Protection Authority-West Bank West Bank Levee Authority, as applicable.
13 * * *
14 Section 2. The Louisiana State Law Institute is hereby directed to make technical
15 changes to statutory laws as necessary to reflect the succession of the Lafitte Area
16 Independent Levee District by the Lafitte Area Levee District as provided in this Act.
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 56 Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session Connick
Present law provides for the jurisdictional organization of the Lafitte Area Independent
Levee District. Proposed law retains present law and changes the name of the levee district
from the Lafitte Area Independent Levee District to the Lafitte Area Levee District.
Present law provides for governance and appointments of the commissioners of the Lafitte
Area Independent Levee District including Senate confirmation of commissioners and
requirements for commissioners. Proposed law provides the Lafitte Area Levee District will
be governed by the board of commissioners of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection
Authority-West Bank and for four members to be appointed from a list of six nominations
submitted by the legislative delegation representing the portion of Jefferson Parish the levee
district is located in.
Present law provides for the composition of the board of commissioners of the Southeast La.
Flood Protection Authority-West Bank. Proposed law provides for changes to the number
of members of the authority from seven to nine, with one residing within the territorial
jurisdiction of the Lafitte Area Levee District.
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Present law provides for one member to be an engineer or a professional in a related field
including geotechnical, hydrological, environmental or hold a baccalaureate degree from an
accredited institution of higher learning with at least 10 years experience in the given area.
Proposed law retains present law and provides for three members to possess the
qualifications.
Proposed law provides for legal proceedings taking place after the effective date of the law
will be continued in the new name of the entities.
Present law provides for carrying out the organizational duties of the Southeast Louisiana
Flood Authority-West Bank. Proposed law retains present law and provides for carrying out
the obligations and business of the Lafitte Area Levee District.
Proposed law directs the Law Institute to change statutory references as necessary.
Effective August 1, 2026.
(Amends R.S. 38:291(Y), 330.1(B)(2)(a), 330.1(C)(1)(b)(intro para), 330.1(C)(1)(b)(iii),
330.3(A), (B)(1), and (C)(1), and 330.10(A))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Senate Floor Amendments to engrossed bill
1. Restores the name of the authority to the Southeast Louisiana Flood
Protection Authority-West Bank.
2. Makes technical changes.
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