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LouisianaHB 7582026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

ENVIRONMENT/QUALITY: Provides with respect to the Department of Environmental Quality fees (EN +$12,383,369 SG RV See Note)

Sponsored By: Ken Brass (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

Environmental QualityNatural Resources and Environment

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

8 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 5 costs, 3 mixed.

Property reviews and cleanup bring fees

The department can charge for environmental-condition reviews, declaratory rulings, expedited permits, cleanup oversight, and self-audit reviews. It can require at least $1,500 before starting a review; processing charges are limited by employee overtime costs plus reasonable indirect costs. For environmental-condition reviews, the minimum fee cannot exceed $1,650; added charges use an hourly-rate percentage agreed annually with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The law removes $660-per-application caps for investigation and cleanup plan approvals, with fees set by rule. Applicants also pay actual public-hearing costs when hearings occur, and reasonable, appropriate direct oversight costs can be charged.

Waste operators face cost-based certification fees

People seeking to operate solid-waste disposal facilities face examination, training, and certification fees set through department rules. The formula must reflect the cost of establishing the certification program. Revenue goes to the Environmental Trust Dedicated Fund Account. The law does not state the resulting fee amounts.

Commercial labs face rule-based certification fees

Commercial laboratories face certification fees set by department rules. Formulas can account for test categories, the material tested, requested accreditation, and laboratory location. Annual accreditation fees cannot exceed $1,500 per test-scope category. The law does not state the final fee schedule.

Motor-oil tank owners face higher fees

The annual fee ceiling rises from $275 to $300 for each eligible underground tank storing new or used motor oil. That allows up to $25 more per tank each year, but charges cannot exceed $300. Actual fees can be lower. Fees unpaid 90 days after their due date are violations and can lead to enforcement.

Businesses face penalties for overdue fees

The department must set emergency-processing and late fees through rules. An emergency-processing fee cannot exceed 1.5 times the regular fee; a late fee cannot exceed 15% of the original fee. A prescribed fee unpaid 90 days after its due date becomes a violation. The department can deny applications or suspend or revoke permits, licenses, registrations, or variances.

Lead cleanup businesses face annual fees

Lead cleanup licenses, certifications, and training-provider and instructor accreditations now require annual fees set through rules. Each lead cleanup project also has a notification fee based on projected lead-containing area and soil acreage. For building cleanup, the counted area includes related lead-contaminated soil. Public entities are exempt from lead license and certification fees. Lead program revenue goes to the Lead Hazard Reduction Dedicated Fund Account; final fee amounts are not stated.

Businesses face new environmental fee rules

Louisiana's Department of Environmental Quality can change authorized fees in effect on June 30, 2026, through cost-based rules. Formulas cover permitting, monitoring, investigations, administration, related work, and pollution effects; hourly or overtime rates cannot be the sole basis. Annual inflation adjustments use the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers and can combine years without adjustments. Existing fees can also change for technology, errors, new industries, federal duties, or budget needs. This authority does not allow new fees.

Businesses face revised environmental permit fees

The department sets permit and license fees by rule, based on its costs and each facility's size and scope. Annual caps are $75,000 per groundwater site and $775,000 per hazardous-waste permit or radiation license. Solid-waste and water-quality permits each have a $250,000 annual cap. Air application or annual fees are capped at $100 per emissions point; annual criteria-pollutant fees are capped at $100 per ton. Toxic-pollutant rates are capped at four, three, or two times the criteria rate for Classes I, II, or III. The law removes the required average 4.5% air-fee increase for accidental-release prevention, but still allows increases for program costs. Most fee revenue goes to the Environmental Trust Dedicated Fund Account.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Ken Brass

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 125 • No: 24

Senate vote • 5/5/2026

Read by title, passed by a vote of 34 yeas and 2 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 34 • No: 2

House vote • 3/30/2026

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 75, nays 22. The bill, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, was finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 75 • No: 22

House vote • 3/24/2026

Reported with amendments

Yes: 16 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 85.

    5/11/2026House

  2. Effective date: 08/01/2026.

    5/11/2026House

  3. Signed by the President of the Senate.

    5/7/2026Senate

  4. Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

    5/7/2026House

  5. Received from the Senate without amendments.

    5/6/2026House

  6. Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

    5/6/2026House

  7. Read by title, passed by a vote of 34 yeas and 2 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    5/5/2026Senate

  8. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

    4/22/2026Senate

  9. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    4/21/2026Senate

  10. Reported favorably.

    4/20/2026Senate

  11. Read by title. Recommitted to the Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs.

    4/15/2026Senate

  12. Rules suspended. Reported favorably.

    4/14/2026Senate

  13. Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Environmental Quality.

    4/1/2026Senate

  14. Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

    3/31/2026Senate

  15. Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 75, nays 22. The bill, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, was finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

    3/30/2026House

  16. Scheduled for floor debate on 03/30/2026.

    3/26/2026House

  17. Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

    3/25/2026House

  18. Reported with amendments (16-0).

    3/24/2026House

  19. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.

    3/9/2026House

  20. Prefiled.

    2/27/2026House

  21. Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.

    2/27/2026House

  22. First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.

    2/27/2026House

Bill Text

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