Provides relative to the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans
HB 611 revises several provisions governing the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans. The bill changes internal governance by requiring the board, rather than the mayor, to elect its president for a one-year term, and it authorizes the board to hire its own legal counsel and set that counsel’s compensation. It also updates who may serve as the board’s agent for service of process and who may initiate expropriation proceedings on the board’s behalf.
The bill further adjusts reporting and property-related authority. It requires the executive director, rather than the mayor or chief administrative officer, to present quarterly reports to the city council at public-works meetings. It also revises language on expropriation and servitudes, including the board’s authority to acquire property for sewer, water, and drainage infrastructure in New Orleans and nearby parishes, and it preserves restrictions on the city’s ability to dispose of streets containing board facilities without the board’s written consent. In addition, the bill repeals several statutes, including provisions dealing with labor preferences in board contracts and the process for apportioning funds among the board’s systems.
HB 611 also repeals the existing law that relieved the City of New Orleans from annual appropriations for operating and maintaining the city’s drainage system. The bill leaves in place the board’s core responsibility for the city’s water, sewerage, and drainage systems, but it removes or shifts several city-controlled functions to the board itself. The act is scheduled to take effect on January 12, 2026.
The general sentiment reflected in the vote was strongly favorable: the House passed the bill 87-4 on final passage. No committee transcript is available in the provided record, but the broad margin suggests substantial support for the bill’s restructuring of board operations and authority.
The main points of contention appear to be the bill’s transfer of authority away from the mayor and city attorney and toward the board, especially regarding leadership selection, legal representation, expropriation, and reporting. The repeal of the labor-preference statute and the repeal of the city’s drainage-funding obligation may also have been significant policy changes, though the available record does not show specific debate on those issues. The committee amendments indicate that earlier, more sweeping changes to board membership and vacancy procedures were removed before final passage, suggesting those provisions were more controversial than the version ultimately approved.
HB 611 amends Louisiana law governing the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans by revising R.S. 33:4073, 4077, 4077.1, 4078, 4091(D), and 4136 and repealing R.S. 33:4087, 4088, and 4146. The bill shifts several powers from city officials to the board, including the selection of the board president, retention of legal counsel, service of process, expropriation authority, and presentation of quarterly reports. It also repeals statutory provisions on labor preferences in board contracts, fund apportionment procedures, and the city’s obligation to fund drainage operations, thereby changing the legal framework for how the board operates and how New Orleans supports its drainage system.
The available voting history indicates strong support for HB 611, with final House passage by a wide margin of 87 yeas to 4 nays. No committee transcript is provided, so there is no direct record of floor or committee debate, but the vote suggests the bill was broadly accepted despite some opposition. The removal of several more expansive provisions in committee also suggests the bill advanced in a more limited, compromise form.
The most notable areas of contention are the transfer of authority from the mayor and city attorney to the Sewerage and Water Board itself, particularly on board leadership, legal counsel, and expropriation matters. Repealing the labor-preference requirements for board contracts may also have been controversial because it changes hiring preferences for New Orleans residents. Another potentially sensitive change is the repeal of the statute relieving the city of drainage funding obligations, which could affect city finances and responsibility for infrastructure maintenance. The committee amendments show that proposals to alter board membership, vacancy procedures, and the mayor’s ability to designate a representative were removed, indicating those issues likely drew concern.