Changes the selection process for members of the Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission from appointed to elected (OR SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)

House Bill 667 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes 34:3158 to convert the Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission from an appointed body to an elected body. The bill eliminates the existing appointment provisions that distributed nine commissioner positions among Caddo Parish, Bossier Parish, the city of Shreveport, and the city of Bossier City, and replaces them with a system requiring commissioners to be elected parishwide through nonpartisan elections held concurrently with gubernatorial primary elections, beginning in 2027 and every four years thereafter. The commission continues to consist of nine members serving without compensation, but commissioners now serve four-year terms instead of the prior six-year terms. The secretary of state assumes administrative responsibility for all elections held under this provision, with elections conducted according to the Louisiana Election Code including all qualifying procedures and filing fees.

The practical effect of this legislation is to transfer power over commission selection from appointed officials to the voting electorate of Caddo and Bossier Parishes. Currently appointed commissioners will continue serving in their positions until December 31, 2027, with newly elected commissioners taking office on January 1, 2028. The bill removes residency requirements that previously mandated commissioners reside in specific parishes or municipalities, instead requiring only that commissioners be citizens of the United States, qualified voters of either Caddo or Bossier Parish, and residents of Louisiana. The bill imposes a term limit restriction preventing commissioners from serving more than three consecutive four-year terms. Vacancies occurring during a commissioner's term are now filled through special election conducted under the Louisiana Election Code rather than through reappointment by the original appointing authority.

This legislation operates within Louisiana's statutory framework governing state boards and commissions and interacts with the Louisiana Election Code provisions applicable to the conduct of elections. The bill maintains the original creation authority for the port commission and preserves its nine-member composition and the prohibition against compensation. By conditioning commission membership on election at the gubernatorial primary cycle, the bill aligns the port commission selection process with the state's primary election schedule established under Title 18 of the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure and related election law. The elimination of the previous racial diversity mandate from appointing authorities and replacement with parishwide elected positions represents a significant structural change in how this regional governance body achieves representation.