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House adopts conference report on carbon sequestration rules after compromise with industry
Summary
The Louisiana House adopted a conference committee report on Senate Bill 73 that revises rules for carbon sequestration, including unitization thresholds, a strengthened landman conduct provision and a land‑servitude notification; lawmakers said the final text contains no moratorium.
The Louisiana House of Representatives on the floor adopted the conference committee report for Senate Bill 73, which revises rules governing carbon sequestration, after Representative Jacob Landry moved to consider and then to adopt the report.
The report, according to Rep. Jacob Landry, clarifies how unitization will be applied to a sequestration plume with an "85/15" arrangement; strengthens language about professional conduct for landmen; and adds a notification provision regarding servitudes. Landry said the author and industry reached a compromise on those points.
Rep. Matthew Willard asked whether the bill would create a moratorium on carbon capture and sequestration. Landry said it would not: "There is no moratorium," he said on the floor. Rep. Landry also described the changes as strengthening regulation and noted the agreement with industry.
Rep. Tanner Orgeron questioned whether the landman provision was a procedural statement or a bill of rights and whether the notification language duplicated an existing bill. Landry said the landman language is a "rule of conduct" and that the notification provision was intended to firm up protections in case a related bill did not become law.
The record shows the conference committee report was initially described on the floor as signed by five of the six conferees: Senators Reese and Henskins and Representatives Jacob Landry, Brett Diamond and Carlson (as stated during floor remarks). Representative Landry moved adoption of the committee report; the clerk later reported the final tally as 98 yeas, 0 nays, and the report was adopted.
Lawmakers and floor discussion focused on technical elements: how unitization would apply to an injection or plume site (Landry answered that it applies to the injection site), what conduct rules for landmen should require, and whether notification requirements already existed elsewhere. No text providing a moratorium was presented on the floor.
The measure will proceed consistent with the adopted conference committee report; no additional action on a moratorium was recorded on the House floor during this consideration.
