SB 78 Louisiana Senate · 2026 Regular Session

SPECIAL DISTRICTS: Provides for the governing authority of the Shreveport Downtown Development District. (8/1/26)

SB 78 amends Louisiana law governing the Shreveport Downtown Development District's board of commissioners. It requires one board member to have expertise in urban planning, commercial real estate, or related fields, and mandates that other non-elected members must reside in, work in, or own property within the downtown district. The bill sets three-year terms for board members (allowing reappointment) and establishes a process for filling vacancies by the same group that originally appointed the outgoing member. These changes apply only to future appointments, not current board members.

Bill status failed 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2026 Last action May 31, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB78 Original → Senate Floor Bureau Note, #1542, Jenkins, Adopted · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill amends the rules for the Shreveport Downtown Development District's board of commissioners. It adds a requirement that one board member must have specific expertise in urban planning or real estate. Crucially, it creates an exemption for this expert member, allowing them to live outside the district or lack local property ownership, unlike other appointed members who must be local. The changes apply only to future vacancies.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on the Shreveport Downtown Development District, but its applicability to board membership criteria has expanded to include non-resident experts.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement that one board member must have a background in urban planning, land use planning, commercial real estate development, construction, district management, architecture, or engineering.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified residency and property ownership requirements to exempt the new expert member, allowing them to serve without living in the district or owning local property.

TIMELINE

Confirmed that these changes apply prospectively only to vacancies occurring after the bill's effective date.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 31, 2026 · House May 19, 2026

How they voted

38–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 40

Mar 31, 2026

D Democratic12

11 Yea 1

91% Yea

R Republican28

27 Yea 1

96% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 31, 2026

Lower · Passed

Notice of Senate rejecting Conference Committee Report.

lower

May 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Conference Committee report received. Lies over under the rules.

lower

May 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

Conference committee report received.

upper

May 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Notice House Conference Committee members appointed.

upper

May 25, 2026

Introduced

Notice of Senate rejecting House amendments.

lower

May 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate conference committee members appointed: Jenkins, Boudreaux, and Luneau.

upper

May 19, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

lower

May 6, 2026

Introduced

Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

lower

May 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (14-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

lower

Apr 7, 2026

Committee

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

lower

Mar 31, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

upper

Mar 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors