SPECIAL DISTRICTS: Provides for the membership of the Consolidated Gravity Drainage District No. 2A in St. Mary Parish. (8/1/26)
Summary
SB 417 amends Louisiana law governing the appointment and terms of commissioners for gravity drainage districts by creating a specific exception for St. Mary Parish Consolidated Gravity Drainage District No. 2A. The bill provides that, notwithstanding the general rule in R.S. 38:1759, the board of commissioners for that district shall consist of seven members, while still requiring those members to meet the existing qualification requirements in law.
In practical terms, the measure is a local government organization bill focused on the structure of one special district in St. Mary Parish. It does not change the district’s core purpose or powers; instead, it adjusts the size of the governing board to reflect a seven-member commission. The bill was enacted as Act 385.
Impact
The bill creates a new statutory subsection in R.S. 38:1759(B)(4) that applies only to St. Mary Parish Consolidated Gravity Drainage District No. 2A. This overrides the general board-composition rule for gravity drainage districts and fixes the district’s board membership at seven commissioners, while leaving all other qualification and eligibility requirements intact. The change affects local governance and board appointments for that specific drainage district, but does not broadly alter state law for other drainage districts.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests the bill was noncontroversial and received strong support. It passed the Senate unanimously, 36-0, and there is no recorded committee opposition or debate in the provided materials. The final enactment as Act 385 indicates broad acceptance of the local district-specific adjustment.
Contention
No notable points of contention appear in the provided record. Because the bill is narrowly tailored to one drainage district, any discussion would likely have centered on the appropriateness of the seven-member board structure rather than on broader policy disputes. The unanimous vote suggests no significant disagreement among legislators over the local governance change.