House Bill 39, a local measure concerning the Houma-Terrebonne Housing Authority, drew extended debate in the House Municipal, Provincial and Cultural Affairs Committee over appointment authority, removal "without cause," council oversight and due process.

Representative Amity introduced the bill, saying the parish president currently appoints all five members of the housing authority board and is seeking the ability to remove members without cause. Representative Domingue offered a multi-part set of amendments that the committee adopted: the parish president would appoint four commissioners subject to the governing body's approval, the governing body would appoint one commissioner, and at least one of the parish-president appointees would be a tenant from a housing development operated by the authority; removals would be subject to approval by the governing body.

Representative Domingue said the amendments were intended "to strengthen this board and also provide good government," adding that ratification by the council would provide transparency and protect board members. Representative Amity confirmed the parish president supported the amendments.

Several members raised constitutional and governance concerns. Representative Marcel repeatedly objected to language that would allow removal without cause. Representative Billings described a post-Hurricane Ida situation in which large numbers of residents remain displaced and said the parish president's frustration motivated the request for faster options to replace board members. Representative Knox and others urged caution and due process, and Representative Freiberg asked staff whether the committee-adopted amendments were germane to the advertisement for the local bill; staff said they were.

The committee then considered rival procedural moves. A motion to involuntarily defer the bill was put to a roll-call vote and failed (roll-call recorded in transcript: two yes, 15 no; transcript contains inconsistent tally language; committee continued debate). Committee members then agreed to work on additional language to remove the "without cause" phrase and to require council ratification of removals; Representative Knox moved to defer the bill for one week while staff prepared a revised amendment. The chair announced the bill would be deferred until the next week's meeting.

Action summary: Domingue's amendment package was adopted; a motion to involuntarily defer failed on roll call; the committee later agreed to defer the bill for one week to allow drafting of replacement language removing "without cause" and clarifying ratification and due-process procedures.

Sponsors said the parish president sought the authority after the housing authority failed to meet deadlines tied to federal aid following Hurricane Ida, leaving hundreds of households displaced; opponents said removal without cause risked politicizing board membership and preferred removal-for-cause processes. The sponsors and several committee members pledged to produce revised language limiting removals and clarifying procedural safeguards before the bill returns.