Provides relative to the membership the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans

HB 871 increases the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans from seven to nine members by adding two representatives from St. Tammany Parish, designated as Positions H and I. The bill amends Louisiana Revised Statutes 34:1 to establish a St. Tammany Parish nominating organization composed of five agencies: the St. Tammany Economic Development Corporation, Northshore Business Council, St. Tammany Parish Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana Farm Bureau, and Port Maritime Council of Greater New Orleans and Vicinity. The legislation creates a formal nomination process for the two St. Tammany positions, whereby the first listed nominating agency submits two nominees within ten days of a vacancy notice, and the remaining agencies submit nominees at five-day intervals. The St. Tammany Parish Nominating Council then certifies three nominees to the governor for appointment. The bill also modifies the vacancy-filling sequence to include Positions H and I in the sequential rotation and increases the board quorum from four to five members.

The Port of New Orleans and St. Tammany Parish gain direct representation on the board's governing body through this expansion. St. Tammany Parish businesses, economic development organizations, and maritime interests now participate in the nominating process through their designated agencies, which contrasts with the existing arrangement where Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard parishes have nominating representation. The increase in board size from seven to nine members requires adjustments to board operations, particularly the quorum threshold, which rises from four to five members to ensure adequate participation in decision-making. The Port of New Orleans board members representing all four parishes will now include geographic representation extending into the Northshore parishes, affecting port governance and policy discussions.

The statutory framework for the Port of New Orleans board operates under Chapter 1 of Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 34, which governs the port's governance structure, the appointment process through nominating organizations, and board operations. The bill maintains the existing structure for Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Bernard parishes while integrating St. Tammany Parish into this established framework. The legislation also extends the port and harbor police coordination provisions to include the St. Tammany Parish sheriff, reflecting the geographic expansion of the board and the potential expansion of port jurisdiction considerations. The nominating process follows the pattern established for other parishes, where designated agencies within a nominating organization select and submit nominees to a nominating council composed of agency heads, preserving the structured appointment mechanism that has governed board composition since at least 1976.