HB 213 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

DISTRICTS/TAXING: Provides relative to the Downtown Development District of the city of Baton Rouge

HB 213 amends Louisiana law governing the Downtown Development District in Baton Rouge, primarily changing how its seven-member governing board is appointed and operated. The bill specifies that board members must include property owners/lessees within the district, residents of Spanish Town and Beauregard Town, and members appointed from business associations and property owner lists. It requires the board to prepare detailed improvement plans, including cost estimates and tax rates (measured in mills), for projects like public facilities and infrastructure within the district. The district will levy special property taxes to fund these projects, with funds managed through the city-parish finance department under existing government accounting rules.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

Jun 2026

Introduced Feb 19, 2026 Signed Jun 9, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

Senate Floor Bureau Note, #4038, Barrow, Adopted → HB213 Act 789 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was re-enacted to formally adopt the Senate amendments, updating the composition of the Downtown Development District board. The changes significantly alter how board members are selected by specifying exact appointment sources, such as the mayor, metro council, and specific local associations, while also adjusting term lengths and residency requirements for specific members.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on the Downtown Development District of Baton Rouge, but the specific rules governing board membership and appointment procedures have been expanded and clarified.

REQUIREMENT

The board composition was updated to require seven members with specific appointment methods, including one at-large member, members from the Chamber of Commerce, Riverside Association, property owners, and residents of Spanish Town and Beauregard Town.

Board member terms were restructured to include initial one-year and two-year terms followed by standard three-year terms, with a limit of two consecutive terms for regular appointments.

Compensation rules were modified to allow members to receive travel allowances for conferences or events held outside East Baton Rouge Parish if approved by the board.

HB213 Enrolled → HB213 Original · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reorganized from an enrolled version into its original draft format, which significantly altered the text of the Downtown Development District's governing statute. The most substantive policy change is the expansion of the board's composition and appointment procedures, replacing a single at-large member with three distinct categories of appointees representing the mayor, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Riverside Association. Additionally, the term structure was modified to provide staggered initial terms of one, two, and three years to ensure continuity, while the requirement for board members to be compensated was removed, leaving them unpaid with only travel reimbursement.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include specific representation for the Greater Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce and the Riverside Association on the board, whereas the previous version only required a single at-large member. The applicability of the appointment rules was also refined to specify that certain members must be residents of specific towns (Spanish Town and Beauregard Town).

REQUIREMENT

The board composition was changed from seven members with one at-large appointment to seven members split into specific categories: one at-large, one from the Chamber of Commerce, one from the Riverside Association, two from property owners/lessees, one resident of Spanish Town, one resident of Beauregard Town, and three additional property owners/lessees.

Board member terms were restructured from uniform three-year terms to staggered initial terms of one, two, and three years, determined by lot, to prevent turnover of the entire board at once.

The provision allowing board members to receive compensation was deleted; members now serve without pay and receive only travel allowances for approved out-of-parish events.

TECHNICAL

The bill text was reverted from the final 'Enrolled' version back to the 'Original' draft, which involved reordering sections and updating the statutory references to reflect the new appointment and term structures.

Floor votes · Senate May 25, 2026 · House Apr 1, 2026

How they voted

37–0

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 40

May 25, 2026

D Democratic12

11 Yea 1

91% Yea

R Republican28

26 Yea 2

92% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read by title, roll called, yeas 86, nays 8, Senate amendments concurred in.

lower

May 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

upper

May 19, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

May 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Apr 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 85, nays 8. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Mar 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (13-0).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.

lower

Feb 19, 2026

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.

lower

0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors