Senate Bill No. 168, introduced by Senator Womack, aims to establish a five-year liberative prescription period for the collection of bonuses, rentals, royalties, shut-in payments, and other sums payable to the state under mineral leases. The bill enacts new provisions in R.S. 30:136(A)(1)(d) and Civil Code Article 3501.2, which specify that the right to collect these payments will be subject to this five-year period from the due date of each payment, overriding the previous three-year prescription period outlined in Civil Code Article 3494(5).

The bill also clarifies that these provisions apply to valid existing mineral leases entered into under the relevant Louisiana Revised Statutes. The effective date for this legislation is set for August 1, 2025. Additionally, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources proposed an amendment that reduced the prescriptive period from ten years to five years, aligning with the bill's intent to streamline the collection process for the state.