Changes the name of the Universities of Louisiana Maritime Academy

House Bill 905 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:3217(B)(1) to change the official name of the state maritime academy from the Universities of Louisiana Maritime Academy to the Louisiana Maritime Academy at Nicholls State University. The bill retains all existing statutory language describing the academy's purposes and operational framework while modifying only the formal designation of the institution. This amendment is purely nomenclatural and does not alter the academy's statutory authority, governance structure, or functional mandates.

The practical effect of this name change is to clarify that the maritime academy operates as a program housed within Nicholls State University rather than as a standalone institution within the University of Louisiana System. This renaming aligns the formal designation with the actual operational structure where maritime education and training activities take place at the Nicholls campus. The change provides clearer institutional identity for students, prospective cadets, maritime industry partners, and employers who interact with the academy's merchant marine officer training and maritime workforce development programs.

The amendment operates within the existing statutory framework of the University of Louisiana System established in R.S. 17:3217. The state maritime academy operates under the supervision and management of the University of Louisiana System's board of supervisors. The three core statutory purposes of the academy—coordinating existing maritime programs and facilities, training merchant marine officers, and providing educational pathways aligned with maritime industry workforce needs—remain unchanged by this legislation. The renaming does not affect the academy's statutory authority, budget allocation, accreditation status, or relationship to the broader University of Louisiana System governance structure.