House Bill No. by Representative Geymann aims to re-create the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and its associated statutory entities, establishing a new effective date of June 30, 2026, for their continuation. The bill modifies existing law by enacting R.S. 49:191(3)(b), which specifies that the DEQ and its statutory entities will begin to terminate operations on July 1, 2030, with all legislative authority ceasing by July 1, 2031, unless the department is re-created again prior to that date. Additionally, the bill repeals R.S. 49:191(1)(j), which previously outlined termination dates for the DEQ.

The proposed legislation supersedes the current "sunset" law provisions that require separate bills for the re-creation of each statutory entity within the DEQ. By consolidating the re-creation process, the bill streamlines the legislative procedure and ensures the continued operation of the DEQ and its entities beyond the previously established termination dates.

Statutes affected:
HB697 Original: 49:191(1)