SUNSET LAW: Re-creates the Department of Environmental Quality
Summary
HB 697 re-creates the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) under the state’s sunset law. The bill continues the department’s statutory existence effective June 30, 2026, and sets a new termination date of July 1, 2031, unless the department is re-created again before that date. It also enacts a new provision in R.S. 49:191 listing DEQ among the statutory entities scheduled to begin terminating on July 1, 2030, and repeals a prior subsection that had governed DEQ’s sunset date.
In practical terms, the bill does not change DEQ’s regulatory mission or program authority; instead, it preserves the department’s legal existence and keeps its enabling statutes in force for another five-year cycle. The measure is part of Louisiana’s periodic review and reauthorization process for executive branch agencies and related statutory entities.
Impact
HB 697 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 49, Section 191, and supersedes conflicting provisions in R.S. 49:193 to the extent necessary to establish DEQ’s new sunset and re-creation dates. The bill ensures that the Department of Environmental Quality and its related statutory entities remain operative through June 30, 2031, affecting the department, regulated industries, permit holders, and the public that relies on DEQ’s environmental permitting, enforcement, and oversight functions.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House 92-0 and the Senate 36-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The absence of committee transcript discussion suggests little recorded opposition or debate, and the final action of gubernatorial signature further reflects general agreement on continuing the department’s existence.
Contention
No notable substantive contention is reflected in the available record. Because the bill is a sunset re-creation measure, any potential disagreement would likely have centered on whether DEQ should be reauthorized and for how long, or on the broader policy of periodic agency review. However, the unanimous votes indicate that no significant faction opposed re-creating DEQ in this instance.
Creates a special task force for the House of Representatives to work with the Department of Energy and Natural Resources, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Louisiana Board of Regents to assess the capacity of government, industry, and academia to model the behavior of geologically sequestered carbon dioxide and to develop a method, if necessary
Creates a special task force for the legislature to work with the Department of Energy and Natural Resources, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Louisiana Board of Regents to assess the capacity of government, industry, and academia to model the behavior of geologically sequestered carbon dioxide and to develop a method, if necessary
Transfers certain family and support programs from the Department of Children and Family Services to the Louisiana Workforce Commission and renames Louisiana Workforce Commission to Louisiana Works (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)
Provides relative to the effectiveness of laws requiring reports to be submitted annually to the legislature by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state Department of Education and provides relative to certain commissions and advisory councils
Establishes the La. Dividend Program within the Dept. of Treasury and provides for funding, administration, qualifications, and restrictions (RR SEE FISC NOTE SD EX)
Provides relative to reports and certain commissions and advisory councils with respect to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state Department of Education
Provide for the Division of Legislative Oversight, the Director of Legislative Oversight, and the Legislative Oversight Committee and change provisions relating to the Public Counsel, the office of Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare, and the office of Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System