PRIA Logo™
LouisianaHB 12432026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

SEWERAGE/N O WATER BD: Provides relative to the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans

Sponsored By: Stephanie Hilferty (Republican)

Became Law

Local and Municipal Affairs

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Bill debt relief for New Orleans customers

The Sewerage and Water Board can adopt rules to reduce or erase qualifying water or sewer bill debt. Eligible cases include district errors, wrong meter readings, or failure to bill for two or more consecutive months. Qualifying unforeseen damage, extreme weather, or mandatory evacuations also allow relief. Error- or event-based relief is limited to the debt caused by that problem. Customers with disproportionate need must qualify for relief through an established district social welfare program.

Regional flood planning for southeast Louisiana

Officials must meet quarterly to develop a shared flood prevention plan for southeast Louisiana. New Orleans' public works director or a designee must take part. The plan must identify drainage needs, predict storm drainage across parishes, and set emergency response priorities. Officials must present it to the New Orleans legislative delegation and City Council each May 15, beginning May 15, 2025.

More council oversight of New Orleans water

Unless another law says otherwise, the City Council can require approval of water board rates, fees, budgets, and improvement plans. Its authority also covers contracts, executive director selection, hiring, and billing, finance, operations, and governance policies, including bill relief. The council can investigate matters it oversees, not just failures, and require board representatives to attend council or committee meetings. The board must answer written investigation requests within 30 days of receiving them. The council cannot exercise powers reserved to the legislature, override state law, or impair the board's existing obligations.

New Orleans drainage responsibility and funding

The Sewerage and Water Board handles all New Orleans drainage unless the parish government or another law provides otherwise. The city may transfer drainage workers and equipment to the board, but transfers are not required. Annual city drainage funding must match the public works department's fiscal year 2023 level; no dollar amount is stated. That funding requirement does not apply when another public entity maintains drainage operations. Any other increase in city funding for the board needs City Council approval.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Stephanie Hilferty

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Adrian Fisher

    Democratic • House

  • Delisha Boyd

    Democratic • House

  • Jessica Domangue

    Republican • House

  • Michael Robert Bayham Jr.

    Republican • House

  • Phillip DeVillier

    Republican • House

  • Steven Jackson

    Democratic • House

  • Sylvia Elaine Taylor

    Democratic • House

  • Vincent E. Cox III

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 239 • No: 8

House vote • 5/27/2026

Read by title, roll called, yeas 100, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.

Yes: 100 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/21/2026

Rules suspended. The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 36 • No: 0

House vote • 4/23/2026

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 89, nays 8. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 89 • No: 8

House vote • 4/20/2026

Read by title, substitute title adopted, lies over in the same order of business, substitute for HB No. 573 reported by the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs

Yes: 14 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Becomes Act No. 938 without the Governor's signature.

    6/23/2026House

  2. Effective date: 08/01/2026.

    6/23/2026House

  3. Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

    5/29/2026House

  4. Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

    5/28/2026House

  5. Signed by the President of the Senate.

    5/28/2026Senate

  6. Read by title, returned to the calendar.

    5/27/2026House

  7. Called from the calendar.

    5/27/2026House

  8. Read by title, roll called, yeas 100, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.

    5/27/2026House

  9. Scheduled for concurrence on 05/27/2026.

    5/26/2026House

  10. Received from the Senate with amendments.

    5/25/2026House

  11. Rules suspended. The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    5/21/2026Senate

  12. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

    5/13/2026Senate

  13. Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    5/12/2026Senate

  14. Reported with amendments.

    5/11/2026Senate

  15. Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs.

    4/28/2026Senate

  16. Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

    4/27/2026Senate

  17. Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 89, nays 8. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

    4/23/2026House

  18. Scheduled for floor debate on 04/23/2026.

    4/22/2026House

  19. Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

    4/21/2026House

  20. Read by title, substitute title adopted, lies over in the same order of business, substitute for HB No. 573 reported by the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs (14-0).

    4/20/2026House

Bill Text

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation