Provides for the demolition or removal of dilapidated and dangerous buildings or structures by the governing authority of a parish or municipality. (8/1/25)
SB 236 expands and clarifies Louisiana law governing the condemnation, demolition, removal, and expropriation of abandoned, blighted, and dangerous properties. It amends existing provisions on administrative adjudication and expropriation to expressly authorize municipalities and parishes to empower hearing officers to condemn property determined to be blighted or abandoned and to authorize demolition of that property. The bill also updates the special expropriation framework for the City of New Orleans, the City of Grambling, and the Parish of East Baton Rouge and its municipalities, which is intended to help local governments more readily acquire and return blighted property to productive use.
A key change in the bill is its specific treatment of East Baton Rouge Parish and Baton Rouge. For expropriation proceedings there, the bill requires that proceedings be initiated by the member of the governing authority representing the district where the property is located. It also provides that, in Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish, the hearing officer appointed under the administrative adjudication statutes determines condemnations. More broadly, the bill reinforces local authority to address dilapidated and dangerous structures that endanger public welfare and to remove them through parish or municipal action.
The bill’s impact is to strengthen local government tools for dealing with blight, abandoned property, and unsafe buildings, while creating a more specific procedural path in East Baton Rouge Parish. It amends R.S. 13:2575, R.S. 19:136 and 136.1, and R.S. 33:4761, affecting parish and municipal governing authorities, hearing officers, property owners of blighted or abandoned structures, and residents in affected communities. The legislation is designed to support redevelopment, code enforcement, and public safety by making it easier to condemn and demolish hazardous properties.
The general sentiment around SB 236 appears favorable, as reflected in strong final passage votes in both chambers and unanimous House approval. The Senate initially passed the bill with some opposition, but it later concurred after House action. The overall voting pattern suggests broad agreement on the need for stronger blight-removal and demolition authority, especially for local governments dealing with abandoned or dangerous properties.
The main point of contention appears to be the bill’s localized procedural rules, particularly the East Baton Rouge Parish provisions that assign initiation of expropriation proceedings to the district’s governing-authority member and place condemnation decisions with the hearing officer. Those details may have raised concerns about local control, due process, or the concentration of authority, but the available record does not include committee debate or specific objections. Even so, the final votes indicate that any disagreements were limited and did not prevent enactment.
SB 236 amends Louisiana’s blight, condemnation, and expropriation statutes to expand local authority over abandoned, blighted, and dangerous properties. It changes R.S. 13:2575 to allow municipalities and parishes to empower hearing officers to condemn blighted or abandoned property and authorize demolition, and it revises R.S. 33:4761 to confirm parish and municipal authority to condemn and remove dangerous buildings. It also modifies the special expropriation provisions in R.S. 19:136 and related sections for New Orleans, Grambling, and East Baton Rouge Parish and its municipalities, including a special initiation rule for East Baton Rouge expropriation proceedings.
The overall sentiment appears broadly supportive. The bill passed the Senate, then the House with unanimous support, and the Senate concurred afterward with a strong majority. That voting pattern suggests wide legislative agreement that local governments need stronger tools to address blight, unsafe structures, and abandoned property. The absence of committee transcripts limits insight into detailed debate, but the final votes indicate the measure was not highly controversial overall.
The most notable contention is likely the bill’s parish-specific procedures for East Baton Rouge Parish and Baton Rouge, especially the requirement that expropriation proceedings be initiated by the district’s governing-authority member and the assignment of condemnation decisions to a hearing officer. Those provisions could raise questions about local political control, fairness, and administrative process. More generally, any opposition would likely center on property rights and the scope of government power to condemn, demolish, or expropriate private property, though the available record does not show specific objections or organized opposition.