The bill amends Louisiana law regarding legal servitudes, specifically focusing on rights of passage for enclosed estates and utility servitudes. It establishes that owners of enclosed estates without access to public roads can claim a right of passage over neighboring properties, with the requirement to compensate the neighbor. Additionally, it introduces provisions for utility servitudes, allowing owners of estates lacking utility access to claim a servitude over neighboring properties to the nearest utility, also with compensation mandated for the neighbor. The bill removes references to utility servitudes from the Civil Code and creates a new chapter in the Louisiana Revised Statutes to address these rights.

Key changes include stipulations that the right to demand compensation for both passage and utility servitudes may be barred by prescription, while still preserving the rights themselves. The bill emphasizes the indemnification responsibilities of the owner of the enclosed estate for any damages incurred during the exercise of these rights. It also outlines the conditions under which utility servitudes can be established, including the requirement for minimal disruption to the servient estate and the necessity for the servitude to follow the shortest and least injurious route. Furthermore, it clarifies that if an estate loses utility access due to the owner's voluntary actions, neighbors are not required to provide a utility servitude, and it mandates a gratuitous utility servitude in cases of judicial partition or voluntary alienation. The bill ultimately aims to clarify and streamline the legal framework surrounding servitudes in Louisiana.