DISTRICTS/ECONOMIC DEVEL: Creates the Allen Parish Economic Development District and abolishes the Allen Parish Tourist Commission
HB 247 creates the Allen Parish Economic Development District as a political subdivision covering all of Allen Parish. The district is charged with promoting cooperative economic and community development, tourism-related initiatives, infrastructure improvement, job creation, and overall welfare in the parish. It is governed by a five-member board made up of local economic and civic leaders and the area House member or designee, and the board may adopt bylaws, manage district property and funds, enter contracts, hire staff, and carry out other actions needed to fulfill its purposes.
The bill also authorizes the district to levy and collect an occupancy tax of up to 3% on hotel rooms and overnight camping facilities within the district, subject to the bill’s terms. Those revenues must be used exclusively for the district’s benefit, and the district may contract with a public entity to collect the tax. The district must prepare public improvement plans, hold hearings, adopt an annual budget under the Local Government Budget Act, and is subject to legislative audit. Most board powers require approval of the Allen Parish governing authority, except the occupancy tax authority specifically granted in the act.
In addition to creating the new district, HB 247 repeals the statutory provisions that created the Allen Parish Tourist Commission and abolishes that commission. Any remaining funds and property of the Tourist Commission are transferred to the new economic development district and must be held in a separate account for attracting conventions and tourists into the area and the former commission jurisdiction. The bill therefore shifts tourism-related assets and authority from the old commission structure into the broader economic development district.
The bill appears to have been generally well received in the Legislature, passing the House and Senate with strong margins and then receiving final House concurrence unanimously. It became law without the Governor’s signature as Act 398. The vote history suggests broad support for the restructuring of local tourism and economic development governance, with no recorded committee transcript debate provided in the materials.
The main points of contention, based on the text itself, are the replacement of the existing Tourist Commission with a new district and the district’s authority to levy a hotel and camping occupancy tax. Those issues would most directly affect local lodging operators, campers/RV facilities, taxpayers paying the occupancy tax, and parish officials who must approve most district powers. The bill also centralizes control of tourism-related funds and property in the new district, which may have been a practical or political concern for stakeholders tied to the former commission.
HB 247 adds R.S. 33:2740.70.11 to Louisiana law to establish the Allen Parish Economic Development District and repeals R.S. 33:4574(B)(3), 4574.1.1(A)(3), and 4574.14, which had governed the Allen Parish Tourist Commission. It transfers the commission’s remaining funds and property to the new district, changes the local governance structure for tourism and economic development, and authorizes a new local occupancy tax of up to 3% on hotel rooms and overnight camping facilities. The act affects Allen Parish government, local tourism entities, lodging and RV/camping businesses, and visitors who pay the tax.
The overall sentiment around the bill appears positive and pragmatic, with strong bipartisan support reflected in the vote totals and unanimous final House concurrence. The legislation was enacted without the Governor’s signature, suggesting it was not controversial enough to prompt a veto or major public conflict. The available record does not include committee testimony, but the floor votes indicate broad acceptance of the district’s economic development and tourism functions.
The most notable issues are the abolition of the Allen Parish Tourist Commission and the transfer of its assets to the new economic development district, along with the new authority to levy an occupancy tax on hotels and overnight camping facilities. Those provisions would be most relevant to parish officials, tourism stakeholders, lodging businesses, RV/camping operators, and taxpayers. The bill limits the district’s independent powers by requiring parish governing authority approval for most actions, which suggests some concern about oversight and local control.