§4574. Tourist commissions; creation; purpose; directors; powers

A. The governing authority of any parish in the state is authorized and empowered upon its own initiative to form and create a tourist commission or by agreement with the governing authority of any other parish to combine two or more parishes or parts thereof into a single tourist commission with such name or names as the governing authority or authorities may designate.

B. Pursuant to Article VI, Sections 19 and 30 of the Constitution of Louisiana, the following commissions and bureaus, hereafter collectively referred to in this Chapter as "tourist commissions" or "commissions", are hereby specifically created as special districts or commissions. Each such commission shall be a body politic and corporate and a political subdivision of the state of Louisiana, composed of the following territory:

(1) Acadia Parish Convention and Visitors Commission composed of all the territory in Acadia Parish.

(2) Alexandria/Pineville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau composed of all the territory in Rapides Parish.

(3) Allen Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Allen Parish.

(4) Ascension Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Ascension Parish.

(5) Avoyelles Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Avoyelles Parish.

(6) Visit Baton Rouge composed of all the territory in East Baton Rouge Parish.

(7) Beauregard Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Beauregard Parish.

(8) Cameron Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Cameron Parish.

(9) DeSoto Parish Tourist Bureau composed of all the territory in DeSoto Parish.

(10) East Feliciana Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in East Feliciana Parish.

(11) Grant Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Grant Parish.

(12) Houma Area Convention and Visitors Bureau composed of all the territory in Terrebonne Parish.

(13) Iberia Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Iberia Parish.

(14) Iberville Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Iberville Parish.

(15) Jefferson Davis Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Jefferson Davis Parish.

*(16) Lafayette Parish Convention and Visitors Commission composed of all the territory in Lafayette Parish.

(17) Lafourche Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Lafourche Parish.

(18) Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau composed of all the territory in Lincoln Parish.

(19) Livingston Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Livingston Parish.

(20) Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitor's Bureau of Ouachita Parish composed of all the territory in Ouachita Parish.

(21) Natchitoches Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Natchitoches Parish.

(22) Pointe Coupee Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Pointe Coupee Parish.

(23) Sabine Parish Tourist and Recreation Commission composed of all the territory in Sabine Parish.

(24) Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau composed of all the territory in Bossier and Caddo Parishes.

(25) Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau composed of all the territory in Calcasieu Parish.

(26) St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in St. Landry Parish.

(27) St. Martin Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in St. Martin Parish.

(28) St. Mary Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in St. Mary Parish.

(29) St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission composed of all the territory in St. Tammany Parish.

(30) Tangipahoa Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Tangipahoa Parish.

(31) Union Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Union Parish.

(32) Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Vermilion Parish.

(33) Vernon Parish Tourist and Recreation Commission composed of all the territory in Vernon Parish.

(34) Washington Parish Tourism Commission composed of all the territory in Washington Parish.

(35) Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Commission composed of all the territory in Webster Parish.

(36) West Baton Rouge Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in West Baton Rouge Parish.

(37) West Feliciana Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in West Feliciana Parish.

(38) Jefferson Parish Multipurpose Recreation and Tourism Commission composed of all the territory in Jefferson Parish.

(39) Franklin Parish Tourism Commission composed of all the territory in Franklin Parish.

(40) Plaquemines Parish; composed of all the territory in Plaquemines Parish.

(41) Morehouse Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Morehouse Parish.

(42) East Carroll Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in East Carroll Parish.

(43) Red River Tourism Commission composed of all the territory in Red River Parish.

(44) Caldwell Parish Tourist Commission composed of all the territory in Caldwell Parish.

C. The commissions provided for in this Section shall have the rights, powers, and duties, and structure as is generally provided for commissions in this Section, except that a commission also shall have the rights, powers, and duties particularly provided in this Chapter and in any local, special, or general law for a particular commission.

D.(1) Any parish governing authority which creates a tourist commission pursuant to Subsection A of this Section may, in naming the commission, designate it a tourist commission, a convention and visitors bureau, or any similar name which denotes the obligations and responsibilities of such a commission.

(2) Notwithstanding any name given to an existing tourist commission by this Section or any other provision of law, an existing tourist commission may, at its own discretion but subject to the approval of the governing authority or governing authorities of the parish or parishes in which it operates, change such designation in its name so as to be known as a tourist commission, a convention and visitors bureau, or any similar name which denotes the obligations and responsibilities of such a commission.

(3) Upon approval by the parish governing authority or authorities of the name change, the commission shall submit notice of the name change to the Department of State, the Department of Revenue, and the Louisiana State Law Institute. If there is a special fund established in the state treasury from which monies are appropriated to the commission, the commission shall also submit notice of the name change to the Department of the Treasury.

(4) Any commission which changes its name pursuant to this Paragraph shall continue in existence and shall continue to be composed and continue to exercise powers and duties as provided by law. Such name change shall not affect any unfinished business of the commission, nor shall it affect the status of any law, document, or legal proceeding which refers to the commission.

E. Any tourist commission created hereby shall have as its purpose the promotion of tourism within the jurisdiction of the commission.

F.(1)(a) Unless provided otherwise in any local, special, or general law for a particular commission, the commission shall be governed by a board of seven directors, hereafter also referred to as the governing authority of the commission in this Chapter, to be appointed by the governing authority or authorities of the parish or parishes creating the commission or, in the case of the commissions provided for in Subsection B of this Section, the parish or parishes which are within the territory of the commission. However, the St. Mary Parish Tourist Commission, the Houma Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission shall be governed by a board of nine directors; Visit Baton Rouge shall be governed by a board of ten directors; and the Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitor's Bureau of Ouachita Parish shall be governed by a board of eleven directors appointed by the Ouachita Parish Police Jury.

(b)(i) Unless provided otherwise in any local, special, or general law for a particular commission, appointments shall be made from lists of nominees submitted to the governing authority or authorities by private, nonprofit groups that have an interest in one or more aspects of the tourism industry; however, appointments to the Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitor's Bureau of Ouachita Parish shall be made from lists of nominees submitted to the Ouachita Parish Police Jury by private, nonprofit groups which represent the hotel, restaurant, or tourist attractions industry.

(ii) The directors shall be appointed for terms of three years.

(iii) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, in the parishes of Evangeline and Natchitoches, the governing authorities of the respective parishes may appoint as one member of the commission the president of any city or parish chamber of commerce within the jurisdictional boundaries of the governing authority, provided that the commission shall serve only one parish. Any member so appointed shall serve on the commission for the duration of his term as president of the chamber of commerce.

(iv) The terms of commissioners of Visit Baton Rouge shall be as provided by Item (ii) of this Subparagraph except as provided by this Item. For the commissioners serving on July 14, 1997, the current terms of four such commissioners shall be extended by one year and the current terms of three such commissioners shall be extended by two years as determined by lot at the first meeting of the bureau after July 14, 1997.

(v) The term of each member of the board of commissioners of Visit Baton Rouge shall expire on December thirty-first of the respective year.

(c) The commission provided for in Paragraph (B)(38) shall be governed by a board of directors which shall be composed of the members of the governing authority of the parish in which the commission is located and such additional directors as are appointed by such governing authority; provided that at least two additional directors shall be appointed. In addition to the rights, powers, duties, and structure as is generally provided for commissions in this Section, the commission shall have the same authority as is provided for the governing authority in R.S. 47:338.201 and 338.202.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Subsection, six of the seven directors of the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission shall serve three-year terms and one member shall serve a one-year term. In addition, three members of the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission shall be domiciled in Ward Eight or Ward Nine of St. Tammany Parish, one of whom shall be a member of the Louisiana Hotel-Motel Association. The person appointed to serve as a member of the commission for a one-year term shall be domiciled in Ward Eight or Ward Nine of St. Tammany Parish during every other term of office and shall be domiciled in the remainder of the parish during the alternate years.

(3)(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Subsection, the Iberia Parish Tourist Commission shall be governed by a board of seven directors who shall serve initial terms as follows:

(i) Two directors for one year.

(ii) Two directors for two years.

(iii) Three directors for three years.

(b) The length of the term of each individual appointed shall be determined by lot at the first meeting of the board in 1994.

(c) The terms of directors of the board appointed upon the expiration of the initial terms shall be three years. The directors of the board shall serve until their successors have been appointed and qualified.

(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Subsection, the West Feliciana Parish Tourist Commission shall be governed by a board of seven directors appointed by the West Feliciana Parish governing authority. The directors shall serve three-year terms of office following terms as provided in this Paragraph. Of the seven directors appointed to terms which begin in January of 1992, three shall be appointed for three-year terms, two shall be appointed for two-year terms, and two shall be appointed for one-year terms.

(5)(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the Red River Tourism Commission shall be governed by a board of eleven directors appointed by the governing authority of the parish of Red River.

(b) Board directors appointed pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph shall serve three-year terms after initial terms as provided in this Subparagraph. Three members shall serve an initial term of one year; four shall serve initial terms of two years; and four shall serve an initial term of three years, all as determined by lot at the first meeting of the board.

(c) Members shall be eligible for reappointment.

(6)(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the Jefferson Davis Parish Tourist Commission shall be governed by a board of directors including the chairman of the Coushatta Tribe, or his appointee, ex officio, and seven directors appointed by the parish governing authority as follows:

(i) Two members at large.

(ii) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees submitted by the hotel/motel association.

(iii) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees submitted by the city of Jennings.

(iv) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees submitted by the town of Welsh.

(v) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees submitted by the town of Lake Arthur.

(vi) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees submitted by the town of Elton.

(b) All members of the board shall reside in the parish of Jefferson Davis.

(7) In addition to the directors appointed under the provisions of this Subsection, the Caldwell Parish Tourist Commission governing authority shall also include three nonvoting members. The three members shall be as follows:

(a) The president of the Caldwell Parish Police Jury, or his designee.

(b) The district attorney of Caldwell Parish, or his designee.

(c) A designee of the Caldwell Parish Chamber of Commerce.

(8) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the Lafourche Parish Tourist Commission shall be governed by a board of nine directors appointed by the governing authority of Lafourche Parish.

(9) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the Acadia Parish Convention and Visitors Commission shall be governed by a board of eleven directors appointed by the governing authority of Acadia Parish.

(10) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the West Baton Rouge Parish Tourist Commission shall be governed by a board of directors composed of nine members. The two additional members provided for by this Paragraph shall be appointed as follows:

(a) One member shall be appointed by the board of directors of the commission.

(b) One member shall be appointed by the governing authority of West Baton Rouge Parish.

G. Unless provided otherwise in any local, special, or general laws for a particular commission, the provisions of this Subsection shall apply. The directors so appointed shall elect from among themselves a chairman who shall serve as the chairman for a term of one year. Vacancies among the directors shall be filled in the same manner that the original appointments are made. In addition to the chairman, the commission shall elect from its membership a vice chairman, secretary and treasurer. The office of secretary and treasurer may be combined if the commission so elects.

H. The commission shall have the power to sue and be sued, to accept grants or donations of every type, to make capital improvements for the purpose of obtaining federal funds, to do all things necessary for the promotion and the advertisement and publication of information relating to tourist attractions within its jurisdiction. However, the commission shall not exercise any function which results in competition with local retail businesses or enterprises. Such tourist commission shall not be construed to be a political subdivision of the state or of the parish or parishes creating it.

I. Notwithstanding Subsection H of this Section, the commissions provided for in Subsection B of this Section shall be construed to be political subdivisions of the state.

J.(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 42:3, the commission may employ an executive director or a person to fill a comparable position on a contract basis, having such qualifications and under such terms and conditions, including but not limited to provisions for sick and annual leave, as may be fixed by the board of directors, for a period not to exceed five years. Said terms and conditions shall be specified in a written contract, which may contain performance objectives and incentives.

(2) The commission and the executive director may enter into subsequent contracts of employment. Not less than one hundred twenty days prior to the termination of such a contract, the chairman of the board of directors shall notify the executive director of termination of employment under such contract, or in lieu thereof the commission and the executive director may negotiate and enter into a contract for subsequent employment. The executive director may choose not to enter into subsequent contracts and may terminate his employment at the end of his contract.

(3) The executive director shall be retained during the term of a contract unless he is found incompetent or inefficient or is found to have failed to fulfill the terms and performance objectives of his contract. However, before an executive director can be removed during the contract period, he shall have the right to written charges and a fair hearing before the commission after reasonable written notice.

Added by Acts 1975, No. 19, §1. Amended by Acts 1978, No. 774, §1; Acts 1981, No. 434, §1, eff. July 18, 1981; Acts 1986, No. 278, §1, eff. June 30, 1986; Acts 1990, No. 408, §1, eff. July 18, 1990; Acts 1990, No. 456, §1; Acts 1991, No. 420, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1994; Acts 1991, No. 680, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1995, No. 47, §1, eff. June 8, 1995; Acts 1997, No. 84, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1090, §1, eff. July 14, 1997; Acts 1997, No. 1167, §1; Acts 1999, No. 225, §1, eff. June 11, 1999; Acts 1999, No. 226, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1141, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1181, §1, eff. July 9, 1999; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 124, §1; Acts 2001, No. 947, §1, eff. June 26, 2001; Acts 2004, No. 657, §1; Acts 2005, No. 171, §1, eff. Oct., 1, 2005; Acts 2006, No. 189, §1, eff. July 1, 2006; Acts 2007, No. 121, §1, eff. June 25, 2007; Acts 2009, No. 66, §1; Acts 2009, No. 112, §1; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 20, §1, eff. June 12, 2011; Acts 2012, No. 256, §§1, 4, eff. May 25, 2012; Acts 2012, No. 313, §1; Acts 2013, No. 15, §1; Acts 2015, No. 60, §1; Acts 2017, No. 5, §1.

NOTE: Acts 1999, No. 1181, §2 provides that the Act is interpretive in nature and shall have retroactive and prospective effect.

NOTE: The name of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Commission was changed to the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau pursuant to R.S. 33:4574(A)(4) (now redesignated as R.S. 33:4574(D)) and so notified the La. State Law Institute on 8/20/01.

*NOTE: See Acts 2005, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 60, §§3 and 4, relative to application of tax based on period of occupancy.

NOTE: See Acts 2015, No. 60, §2, regarding terms of board members of the Acadia Parish Convention and Visitors Commission.