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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana amends governance, board composition, and planning procedures for the Downtown Development District of the city of Baton Rouge
Last action · June 9, 2026: Effective date: 08/01/2026.Sponsor: Terry Landry
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What This Bill Does
Act 789 restructures the governing board of the Downtown Development District of the city of Baton Rouge, revises board appointment categories and term limits to a maximum of two consecutive three-year terms, and updates district powers and planning procedures.
Property owners and residents within the Downtown Development District face altered board representation, updated property tax planning procedures, and new administrative structures governing local public improvements and services in Baton Rouge.
- The Downtown Development District of the city of Baton Rouge operates as a special taxing and development district under Louisiana revised statutes to manage public improvements and services in downtown Baton Rouge. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Property owners and lessees within the Downtown Development District
Their representation on the district board and the procedures for levying special ad valorem taxes and approving improvement plans are modified.
Residents of Spanish Town and Beauregard Town
Specific board seats are designated for residents living within these neighborhoods.
Mayor-President and Metro Council of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish
They hold appointment authority for board members, appoint the executive director, and review and adopt district plans.
Key Facts
- The board of the Downtown Development District is composed of seven members who must be qualified voters of East Baton Rouge Parish and own property, have a place of business, or practice a profession within the district.
- Board members serve three-year terms and are restricted to serving no more than two consecutive terms, excluding appointments to fill unexpired terms.
- The seven board positions are appointed by the mayor-president with approval of the metro council, including members representing specific neighborhoods such as Spanish Town and Beauregard Town, as well as property owners and lessees.
- Current board members serving on the effective date of the Act continue to serve until their current terms expire.
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- The district board must prepare plans specifying proposed public improvements, facilities, and services, including cost estimates and proposed millage rates.
- Plans must be reviewed by the city-parish planning commission and submitted to the metro council for adoption, modification, or rejection by a majority vote.
- The metro council appoints an executive director for the district based on the board's recommendation.
- The district has the power to acquire property, enter into contracts, hire professional consultants, sue and be sued, borrow money, issue bonds, and levy special assessments or user charges.
- Legal representation for the board is provided by the office of parish attorney, and financial records and idle funds are handled through the city-parish department of finance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who appoints the members of the Downtown Development District board?
What are the term limits for members of the district board?
How are district development plans approved?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
22 actions- Jun 9, 2026HouseEnrolledSigned by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 789.
- Jun 9, 2026HouseEffective date: 08/01/2026.
- Jun 1, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by the President of the Senate.
- Jun 1, 2026HouseSent to the Governor for executive approval.
- May 31, 2026HouseEnrolledEnrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- May 29, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, roll called, yeas 86, nays 8, Senate amendments concurred in.
Show 16 earlier actions
- May 27, 2026HouseScheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.
- May 26, 2026HouseReceived from the Senate with amendments.
- May 25, 2026SenateFloorRules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
- May 20, 2026SenateFloorReported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
- May 19, 2026SenateIntroducedRead by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 18, 2026SenateCommitteeReported favorably.
- Apr 8, 2026SenateCommitteeRead second time by title and referred to the Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs.
- Apr 7, 2026SenateReceived in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
- Apr 1, 2026HouseFloorRead third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 85, nays 8. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
- Mar 31, 2026HouseScheduled for floor debate on 04/01/2026.
- Mar 30, 2026HouseFloorRead by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
- Mar 26, 2026HouseReported with amendments (13-0).
- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.
- Feb 20, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.
- Feb 19, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 19, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Board Structure and Term Limits
Act 789 formalizes strict term limits of two consecutive three-year terms for Downtown Development District board members while updating neighborhood representation requirements.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance45How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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