§ 28:914 — Requirements for districts and authorities; board education and awareness

§914. Requirements for districts and authorities; board education and awareness
A. The board shall be briefed by the executive director on the following issues in the
manner deemed appropriate by the executive director:
(1) Mission and purpose of the district or authority.
(2) How the mission and purpose are practically applied in the community.
(3) Relationships in the community that are crucial to the district or authority's
success.
(4) How those relationships are established, maintained, and built upon.
(5) How each member of the board serves as a delegate to foster those crucial
community relationships.
(6) Role of the district or authority in times of disaster.
(7) Funding for the district or authority, including state and federal funding, grant
opportunities, and other funding sources.
(8) Billing and collections processes.
(9) Budgeting and account balances.
(10) Audits by the legislative auditor within the past five years.
(11) Employees and contractors, and their roles in operating the district or authority.
(12) The option of the board to select a new executive director.
(13) The contractual relationship with the Louisiana Department of Health.
(14) Compliance with the Code of Governmental Ethics.
(15) Compliance with the Public Records Law.
(16) Compliance with the Open Meetings Law.
(17) Process for development and ratification of bylaws.
(18) Discussion of how regularly scheduled board meetings will be conducted.
(19) The district or authority's responsibility to prioritize and provide for state-funded
services, as established in R.S. 28:821 et seq., in order to meet the needs of the individuals
in their statutory governance area. Each fiscal year, every district and authority shall allocate
a minimum of an amount equal to nine percent of its state general fund appropriation for the
provision of services established in R.S. 28:821 et seq. for persons with developmental
disabilities and their families. The state general fund appropriation for which the minimum
nine percent is calculated may be adjusted to align with any budget reductions mandated by
the division of administration.
(20) Any other matter deemed important by the executive director.
B. The executive director may include representatives from the Louisiana Department
of Health, office of the Louisiana legislative auditor, Louisiana Ethics Administration, office
of the Louisiana attorney general, or any other entity that can provide important information
to the board members during any board meeting.
C. A new board member orientation shall be held upon appointment of any new
member and the executive director shall brief the new board member on the issues set forth
in Subsection A of this Section.
D. All district and authority boards shall adopt:
(1) A mission, vision, and policy for the operation of the district or authority. The
board shall set policy as a body and shall employ an executive director who shall be
accountable to the board, as a body, for the implementation of the policies established by the
board.
(2) Bylaws that specify that the board may act only as a body and not through the
individual actions of any individual board member, unless the board member is given explicit
authority by a majority vote of the board to carry out a specific function, or the function is
reasonably required of a board member serving as an officer of the board. Under penalty of
removal, no board member shall, directly or indirectly, provide direction to or interfere with
any employee of the district or authority.
E.(1) Each district and authority board shall complete all of the following:
(a) Adopt consistent performance indicators to standardize reporting outcomes.
(b) Conduct an assessment evaluating insurance and Medicaid billing to ensure
optimum billing practices to support self-generated revenue. Each board shall report its
findings to the department and make its findings publicly available online.
(c) Focus on primary care integration. Each board shall complete the Integration
Practice Assessment Tool (IPAT), report its findings to the department, and make its findings
publicly available online.
(d) Conduct annual patient satisfaction surveys, report its findings to the department,
and make its findings publicly available online.
(e) Standardize processes and expand strategies to maximize financial viability to
reduce reliance on state funding.
(f) Prepare an annual report summarizing a board's progress toward achieving
statewide health goals as determined by the department.
(g) Hold an annual meeting to inform and educate elected officials on the work that
the board is completing in its jurisdiction. Each board shall present at an annual meeting
held in Baton Rouge. Each board shall prepare a presentation that includes, at a minimum,
the information required by this Paragraph.
(2) The report required by Subparagraph (1)(f) of this Subsection shall include but
not be limited to all of the following:
(a) An overview of programs and initiatives undertaken in the preceding year.
(b) Metrics indicating performance and outcomes relative to the statewide health
goals including patient surveys.
(c) Identified challenges and barriers to progress.
(d) Plans for improvement or adjustment in the upcoming year.
(3) The department shall compile the reports required by Paragraph (2) of this
Subsection and prepare a statewide summary for submission to the House Committee on
Health and Welfare and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare by February first of
each year.

Legislative History

Acts 2008, No. 373, §2, eff. June 21, 2008; Acts 2017, No. 73, §1, eff. June 7, 2017; Acts 2025, No. 381, §1.