House Bill No. by Representative Phelps aims to enhance state involvement in local government economic development negotiations by enacting R.S. 44:22.3. The bill mandates that records related to active negotiations for projects aimed at retaining, expanding, or attracting economic development within a local government's jurisdiction must be made available to the Louisiana Economic Development department. Additionally, it requires that legislators whose districts overlap with the local government's jurisdiction be given the opportunity to participate in these negotiations. The bill defines "active negotiation" and "economic development," specifying criteria such as job creation or capital improvements that qualify a project for state involvement.

The proposed law modifies existing confidentiality provisions by ensuring that records pertaining to active negotiations are accessible to state officials, despite previous laws that allowed for confidentiality under certain conditions. It retains definitions from current law and clarifies that the confidentiality provisions do not apply to applications for licenses or permits or to records concerning hazardous waste sites. Overall, the bill seeks to foster greater collaboration between state and local governments in economic development efforts while ensuring transparency in negotiations.