§729. Cameron Parish School Board; sale or exchange of sixteenth section lands

            A. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, if the Cameron Parish School Board, on behalf of the state of Louisiana, determines that any sixteenth section lands located within Cameron Parish are no longer needed for school purposes and that the best interest of the Cameron Parish school system would be served by the sale or exchange of the lands, the school board may authorize a sale or exchange on behalf of the state in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Section.

            B. The school board shall obtain an appraisal of the lands being considered for sale or exchange from a certified, licensed appraiser, and the appraisal shall be available for public inspection.

            C. The school board shall hold a public hearing to receive public comment concerning the sale or exchange of the sixteenth section lands. The school board shall provide notice of the public hearing and notice of its intent to consider the sale or exchange of sixteenth section lands by advertisement in the official journal of the parish on at least three separate days at least thirty days prior to the date of the hearing. The notice shall include a brief description of the sixteenth section lands to be sold or exchanged, as well as any lands being considered in exchange for the sixteenth section lands. The appraisal required by Subsection B of this Section shall be made available for public inspection at the hearing.

            D. After the hearing and with due consideration of any public comments, if the board determines that the sixteenth section lands are not needed for school purposes and that a sale or exchange is in the best interest of the school system, the school board may vote to authorize a sale or exchange.

            E. Upon authorization of the school board for the sale of sixteenth section lands, the president of the school board may proceed with a sale on behalf of the state in accordance with the procedures provided in R.S. 41:892. Upon authorization of the school board for an exchange of sixteenth section lands, the president of the school board may proceed on behalf of the state with an exchange of the lands for other lands in Cameron Parish of equal or greater value.

            F. The authority conferred by this Section shall be in addition to the authority conferred by any other law. This Section shall be construed liberally for the accomplishment of its purpose, which is to provide a complete and additional method for the sale or exchange of unused sixteenth section lands by the Cameron Parish School Board.

            Acts 2023, No. 58, §1.