House adopts conference report changing BREC board makeup and adding transparency provisions

The House adopted the conference committee report for House Bill 649, a measure by Representative Ventrella concerning park and recreation facilities in East Baton Rouge Parish and changes to the BREC board.

Representative Ventrella told the chamber the conference report "changes the makeup of the existing BREC board, but we are also providing some additional accountability and transparency." He said the changes did not fully meet the transparency goals he and others initially sought but that he would continue working with the legislative auditor and members to improve oversight. Ventrella described the conference result as a compromise reached with the Senate conferees and said the conference report was signed by all six conferees.

Representative Jackson and others asked whether the bill separated BREC from central city control or otherwise mirrored other members' bills; Ventrella said centralization was not changed "as of this moment in time" but reiterated that the board makeup had been altered to include additional municipal representation and accountability provisions. Representative Marcel and others asked specifics about how the makeup differs from other proposals; Ventrella said conference adjustments also incorporated an amendment that interacted with other members' bills and that the conference report included changes to assist related initiatives.

Motion and vote: Representative Ventrella moved adoption; the clerk recorded 89 yeas and 4 nays and the conference committee report was adopted.

Why it matters: The changes alter the composition of a major parish recreation board and add language intended to increase transparency and accountability to taxpayers; sponsors said further work with the legislative auditor will continue.