House Bill No. 608, titled the "Louisiana Atmospheric Protection Act," introduces comprehensive regulations governing atmospheric and weather modification activities in the state. The bill establishes a new chapter in the Louisiana Revised Statutes, defining key terms such as "cloud-seeding," "geoengineering," and "weather modification." It prohibits any person or entity from engaging in solar radiation modification, weather modification, or cloud-seeding, imposing a civil penalty of $200,000 for violations. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry is designated as the authority responsible for oversight and enforcement of these regulations, which also apply to government and armed forces projects.

In addition to the prohibitions, the bill creates the "Atmospheric Protection Fund" to collect fines from violations, and it mandates independent testing to ensure compliance with safety standards. The legislation repeals the previous Chapter 25 of Title 37, consolidating the regulatory framework under the new act. Amendments made by the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment change the nature of penalties from criminal to civil offenses and transfer enforcement authority from state police to the Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The requirement for radiation evaluation reports is also shifted from local sheriffs to the Department of Environmental Quality, streamlining the regulatory process.

Statutes affected:
HB608 Original:
HB608 Engrossed: