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HB 743

DISTRICTS/AIRPORT: Creates the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport District in St. Mary Parish

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Beau Beaullieu and 1 co-sponsor

Creates an autonomous district to govern Harry P. Williams Airport with a seven-member board, granting management, funding, and asset control upon FAA approval.

Scheduled for floor debate on 04/20/2026.
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Bill Summary · HB 743

Summary of HB 743 (2026) — Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport District (Louisiana)

Purpose and Intent

  • Establishes a new special district, the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport District, to govern and operate the Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport in St. Mary Parish.
  • Creation is contingent on a majority vote by the St. Mary Parish Council and approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). If approved, the district may levy taxes only with prior parish council authorization.

Key Provisions and Changes

Subpart and District Boundaries

  • Creates Subpart F of Part IV, Chapter 2, Title 2 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes (R.S. 2:350.1 through 350.6).
  • The district’s boundaries are coterminous with St. Mary Parish, centered on Harry P. Williams Memorial Airport, including aeronautical, commercial, industrial, and agricultural areas designated for aeronautical purposes within unincorporated St. Mary Parish.

Domicile and Location

  • Domicile must be in St. Mary Parish, with the board empowered to relocate the domicile within the district or to the seat of a subdivision included within the district.

Governance: Board of Commissioners

  • A seven-member board, all U.S. citizens and St. Mary Parish residents, appointed by the St. Mary Parish Council (with removal by the Council by majority vote).
  • Required qualifications include experience in aviation, business, accounting/finance, marketing, engineering, law, real estate, economic development, or related fields.
  • Full-time local government employees are generally ineligible, with a limited exception for those responsible for parish economic development.
  • Current St. Mary Parish Airport Advisory Committee members may serve the remainder of their terms, with possible extensions of up to three additional five-year terms.
  • Vacancies filled by the Parish Council for the remainder of the unexpired term. Members may be removed for cause.

Officers and Meetings

  • Board must elect a chair, vice-chair, secretary, and treasurer (one person may hold both secretary and treasurer).
  • Members serve without compensation.
  • Regular meetings monthly; special sessions as needed. Quorum is four members; decisions require a majority vote. Board rules govern meetings, and the chair may cast a vote.

Powers and Duties

  • The district is a public corporation with authority to incur debt, contract, sue, sue, and own a corporate seal.

  • Upon an FAA-defined “approval date” (certificate granting operational jurisdiction under 14 CFR Part 139), the district acquires extensive powers, including:

    • Approving and managing grant assignments, contracting with federal, state, or private entities.
    • Planning and developing all airport facilities (terminals, hangars, navigation aids, parking, cargo facilities, etc.).
    • Securing street/highway access and mitigating traffic around the airport.
    • Participating in FAA/state grant programs and managing grants on behalf of the local government.

  • Additional powers (upon/after approval date) include:

    • Exclusive right to occupy, operate, and control airport facilities owned by the local government as of the transfer date.
    • Ownership of all related real property and assets, including leases, contracts, revenues, bonds, cash balances, accounts receivable, vehicles, equipment, and software necessary for administration and management.

Financial Reporting and Local Government Compliance

  • Annual financial reporting: the district must submit a financial report within 120 days after each calendar year to the St. Mary Parish Council.
  • Local government compliance: the parish must refrain from actions that impair the district’s powers or violate covenants, cannot encumber airport facilities without district/FAA consent, and must cure any title defects in transferred facilities.

Effective Date

  • The act becomes effective upon signature by the governor or the lapse of the constitutional time for gubernatorial action.

Impact Overview

  • Creates a centralized, autonomous governance and funding mechanism for the airport, potentially increasing funding flexibility and control over planning, development, and operations.
  • Shifts certain property, contractual, and financial obligations from the parish to the district once FAA approval is granted.
  • Introduces a qualified seven-member board and a formal governance framework with monthly meetings and annual reporting.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current law or an impact assessment for taxpayers and local stakeholders.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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