Establishes that the total compensation of the executive port director of the Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission cannot exceed the statewide average compensation of the top ten port directors in Louisiana

House Bill 713 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 34:3160(B) and enacts new Section 34:3160.1 to establish compensation limits for the executive port director of the Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission. The bill defines total compensation comprehensively to include base salary, allowances, benefits, bonuses, incentives, deferred compensation, and any other monetary or nonmonetary remuneration. Beginning January 1, 2028, any new contract, amendment, or renewal for the executive port director position cannot authorize total compensation exceeding the statewide average total compensation paid to executive port directors of the top ten port authorities and port commissions in Louisiana. The legislature delegates responsibility to the legislative auditor and the division of administration to calculate this statewide average annually using the most recent and reliable compensation data, treating vacancies or incomplete data in a manner that ensures accurate representation.

The Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission is directly affected by this legislation, as it must align the executive port director's compensation package with the calculated statewide average once the law takes effect. All port authorities and port commissions throughout Louisiana are required to submit annual compensation data for their executive port directors to the legislative auditor and division of administration no later than ninety days after the end of each fiscal year in a standardized format. The legislative auditor and division of administration must complete the initial calculation of mean total compensation for the top ten port directors by January 1, 2027, establishing the baseline figure that will govern Caddo-Bossier's director compensation for contracts executed on or after January 1, 2028.

The bill operates within Louisiana's existing statutory framework governing port commissions and authorities under Title 34 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. Section 34:3160 previously granted the Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission broad authority to determine the executive port director's salary and terms of employment, and this legislation constrains that authority prospectively. The bill includes explicit prospective application language to avoid impairing existing lawful contracts, ensuring that any employment agreements in effect at the time of enactment remain enforceable according to their terms until expiration, amendment, or renewal. The statute contains no enforcement mechanism or penalty provision, reflecting legislative intent that the commission adhere to the compensation average through its ordinary administrative practices rather than through litigation or sanctions.