House Bill No. by Representative LaFleur amends the powers and duties of the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority as outlined in R.S. 33:4720.151(H)(3). The bill retains the existing provisions that allow the authority to acquire property through various means, such as gift, grant, purchase, or lease, for the purpose of carrying out its objectives. However, it introduces a significant change by removing the previous restriction that prohibited the authority from expropriating property, except as granted by the appropriate governing authority. Instead, the new language allows the authority to expropriate property specifically to revitalize economically depressed areas by rehabilitating abandoned or blighted properties and reintegrating them into the economic stream of commerce.

This legislative change aims to enhance the authority's ability to address issues related to slum, blighted, and distressed areas in East Baton Rouge Parish, particularly in the wake of the housing shortages and other challenges following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The authority, which encompasses the entire parish and is governed by a five-member board of commissioners, is now better equipped to take proactive measures in improving local communities through property rehabilitation and revitalization efforts.

Statutes affected:
HB162 Original: 33:151(H)(3)