Authorizes rebates of ad valorem taxes in West Feliciana Parish under certain conditions

House Bill 466 enacts Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 33:2759 to establish a new ad valorem tax rebate program in West Feliciana Parish. The statute permits qualifying tax recipient bodies within the parish to implement programs through which they may refund to property owners certain amounts of property taxes previously paid. A tax recipient body becomes eligible to establish such a program only after its governing authority votes to authorize the program by a supermajority of not less than two-thirds of the membership, provided the body meets three statutory qualifications: its jurisdiction must lie wholly within West Feliciana Parish, it must levy ad valorem taxes, and it must receive revenues from the Industrial Development Board of the Parish of West Feliciana Louisiana, Inc. derived through a payment in lieu of taxes agreement. Once authorized, a qualifying tax recipient body may determine the total rebate amount for any tax year and distribute rebates to property owners in one of three forms: a fixed payment per property subject to taxation, a payment equal to a percentage of aggregate taxes paid, or a credit against subsequent year tax liability.

Property owners in West Feliciana Parish will be the primary beneficiaries of this legislation, as they may receive refunds or credits of previously paid property taxes if their local tax recipient body elects to implement a rebate program. Tax recipient bodies meeting the statutory criteria, particularly those dependent upon payment in lieu of taxes revenues from industrial development agreements, gain discretionary authority to offer these rebates as a mechanism to return revenues to taxpayers. Local governing bodies of eligible tax recipient bodies must make the initial decision to authorize the program through supermajority vote, meaning the decision requires substantial consensus within each local government. Property owners should note that the availability and form of rebates will vary depending on whether their particular tax recipient body chooses to implement the program and how it structures the rebate distribution.

This statute operates within the existing framework of Louisiana property tax law codified in Title 33 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes and interacts specifically with payment in lieu of taxes agreements utilized in industrial development contexts. The statute's reference to notwithstanding any law to the contrary indicates legislative intent to authorize this rebate mechanism despite potential conflicts with general property tax statutes. The requirement that a tax recipient body receive revenues from a payment in lieu of taxes agreement suggests the Legislature designed this program to permit local governments receiving industrial development board revenues to share those revenues with property owners through tax rebates. The effective date of January 1, 2027, establishes when both the statute and the first eligible tax year commence, allowing tax recipient bodies time to authorize and implement their programs before the rebate provisions apply.