This bill amends various sections of the Louisiana Revised Statutes related to the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, focusing on its governance, powers, and duties. It allows the composition of the board to be defined by the New Orleans home rule charter, unless otherwise specified by law, and grants the city council the authority to set rules for the appointment and terms of board members. The board is empowered to adopt rules for adjusting or extinguishing customer debts due to billing errors or financial hardship. Additionally, the bill removes the mayor as the ex officio president of the board, requiring the board to elect its own president and executive director, and mandates compliance with the Open Meetings Law for all board meetings.

Furthermore, the bill enhances the city council's regulatory oversight of the Sewerage and Water Board, allowing it to approve rates, fees, annual operating budgets, and policies related to billing and governance. It also permits the city council to investigate the board following catastrophic failures of the city's sewerage and drainage infrastructure. The requirement for a billing ordinance working group to review ordinances before consideration by the city council's Public Works, Sanitation, and Environmental Committee is removed, enabling the council to implement uniform billing procedures directly. The bill clarifies that the city council's authority does not delegate powers held exclusively by the legislature or impair existing obligations of the board, aiming to improve operational efficiency and accountability while ensuring public oversight.

Statutes affected:
HB1243 Original: 33:4072(A), 33:2(A)
HB1243 Engrossed: 33:4072(A), 33:2(A)
HB1243 Enrolled: 33:4072(A), 33:2(A)
HB1243 Act 938: 33:4072(A), 33:2(A)