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HB 298 Louisiana House · 2025 Regular Session

DISTRICTS/SPECIAL: Provides relative to the Ernest N. Morial-New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority

HB 298 requires the lessee of the Convention Center Headquarters Hotel Project (a new hotel connected to New Orleans' convention center) to pay annual "payments in lieu of taxes" based on a calculated rate. These payments start at 45% of a defined base rate in the first year after opening, increasing to 65% in year two, 85% in year three, and 100% in year four and beyond. The bill also mandates similar tax payment requirements for other private-public developments on authority-owned land, ensuring private entities pay either ad valorem taxes on improvements or equivalent annual payments calculated using local tax rates and property values.
Issues: ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates PILOTs (payments in lieu of taxes) for private developments on authority land, ensuring public revenue streams for fiscal management without traditional tax burdens.95% confidence
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
Jun 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
Jun 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Apr 2, 2025 Signed Jun 8, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB298 Original → HB298 Act · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was finalized into an enrolled act with minor formatting corrections and a significant reorganization of the tax payment schedule for the new hotel project. The most important change is the addition of a specific payment schedule requiring the hotel to pay 45% of the base tax rate in year one, increasing to 65% in year two, 85% in year three, and 100% thereafter. The bill also clarifies that these payments go to local taxing authorities and maintains requirements for private partners to pay their share of taxes on improvements.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on the Ernest N. Morial-New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority and its Convention Center Headquarters Hotel Project, but the financial obligations for the project are now explicitly detailed with a graduated payment timeline.
TIMELINE

Added a specific four-year graduated payment schedule for the hotel project, starting at 45% of the tax base and reaching 100% by the fourth year.

FISCAL

Reorganized the text to clearly separate the definition of the 'base rate' from the specific dollar amounts owed each year.

REQUIREMENT

Explicitly stated that payments in lieu of taxes must be made to local taxing authorities through normal collection agencies.

TECHNICAL

Corrected line breaks and spacing in the statutory text to prepare it for official enrollment.

Floor votes · Senate Jun 2, 2025 · House May 21, 2025

How they voted

36–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 37
Jun 2, 2025
D Democratic11
11 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican26
25 Yea 1
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
21
Key actions
4
Committee
5
Jun 2, 2025
Upper · Passed
Read by title, passed by a vote of 38 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
Jun 1, 2025
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
May 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
May 19, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (14-0).
lower
Apr 14, 2025
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.
lower
Apr 2, 2025
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Alonzo Knox
Alonzo Knox
DDemocratic
LA
93