PUBLIC PROPERTY: Provides for the transfer of certain state property in Caddo Parish
Summary
HB 735 requires the transfer of specified state-owned immovable property in Caddo Parish from the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) to the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport. The bill identifies four tracts of land, including lots in Salisbury Park Subdivision and Samford Place Subdivision, and directs that the transfer be carried out in accordance with state property-transfer procedures. It also authorizes the commissioner of administration and the secretary of DOTD to sign any documents needed to complete the conveyance.
The bill repeals Sections 5 through 8 of Act No. 93 of the 2025 Regular Session, which had previously authorized the commissioner of administration and the DOTD secretary to transfer the same property to either LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport or the LSU Health Sciences Foundation Shreveport. Under HB 735, the transfer is made specifically to LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport, effective July 1, 2026, and the institution must record the transfer in the Caddo Parish conveyance records once completed. The act became law without the governor’s signature and is now Act 403.
Impact
HB 735 changes state law by creating R.S. 17:1518.3 and repealing prior statutory authority from Act 93 of 2025 that governed this property. It narrows the recipient of the Caddo Parish property from a choice between LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport and the LSU Health Sciences Foundation Shreveport to LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport alone, while preserving the requirement that the transfer comply with state immovable-property procedures. The bill affects DOTD, the commissioner of administration, and LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport, and it requires recording of the conveyance in parish records.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been noncontroversial. It passed the House unanimously, 92-0, indicating broad support and no recorded opposition in the available voting history. No committee transcripts were provided, and there is no indication of significant debate in the materials supplied. The fact that it became law without the governor’s signature also suggests the measure moved forward without major public conflict.
Contention
The only identifiable point of contention in the bill text is the change from the broader transfer authority in prior law to a mandatory transfer to LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport, rather than allowing transfer to either the health sciences center or the LSU Health Sciences Foundation Shreveport. That said, the available record does not show any organized opposition to this narrowing, and the final vote was unanimous. Any practical concern would likely center on property disposition authority and the choice of recipient entity, but no specific objections are documented in the provided materials.