Thanks to Glo for forwarding the following!
Dear Water Resources Commission members, Water Management Advisory Task Force members, and Interested Parties:
Please find below and attached a listing of bills in the Louisiana Legislature dealing in some capacity with the management of Louisiana’s water resources. The text and digests of the bills are available at:http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/home.aspx.
With regards,
MR
Matthew Reonas, Ph.D.
Outreach, Education, & Research
Louisiana Office of Conservation/Dept. of Natural Resources
Phone: (225) 342-1496
Fax: (225) 242-3608
Current Water Resource Bills in the Louisiana Legislature, 4/3/2013
Highlights show current disposition; * indicates a new bill as of 4/1/2014
Coastal Issues
HB 148 Champagne – Requires monies received by the state associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill be deposited in Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund; pending House Appropriations
HB 850 Dove – Allows Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), with approval of CPRA Board, to contract for the study, investigation, and cleanup of, or response to, hazardous substances; scheduled for House floor debate, 4/10/2014
HB 855 Henry – Provides for a process for initiation or continuation of actions by local government subdivisions to enforce the coastal management program; pending House Civil Law and Procedure
HB 862 Robideaux – Provides for a process for initiation or continuation of actions by local government subdivisions to enforce the coastal management program; pending House Civil Law and Procedure
HB 881 Champagne – Requires parishes receiving RESTORE Act funds to provide certain information to the public; pending House Civil Law and Procedure
*HCR 49 Champagne – Urges and requests the CPRA to create a body of coastal parishes to aid in compliance with the RESTORE Act; pending House Natural Resources
*HCR 50 Champagne – Memorializes Congress to provide for certain aspects of the RESTORE Act; pending House Natural Resources
*HCR 62 Harrison – Urges and requests CPRA to study Lake Verret as an alternative drinking water source for Bayou Lafourche; pending House Natural Resources
SB 305 Chabert – Directs Coastal Louisiana Levee Consortium to be an advisory commission of the CPRA Board to facilitate communication and cooperation at state and federal levels; pending House Natural Resources
SB 345 Crowe – Dedicates certain Deepwater Horizon oil spill fines to provide elementary and secondary schools with full wireless digital technology capabilities for the classroom; pending Senate Finance
SB 469 Adley – Provides relative to the enforcement of the coastal management program; pending Senate Natural Resources
Ports
HB 133 Anders – Expands the Vidalia Port Commission to include all of Concordia Parish; pending final House passage
HB 426 Harris – Expands membership and authority of Alexandria Regional Port; pending House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works
SB 76 Morrish – Creates the Cameron Parish Port, Harbor, and Terminal District; subject to call-Senate final passage
Public Supply and Rural Water Systems
HB 223 Reynolds – Limits power of the Public Service Commission (PSC) to regulate non-profit water utility cooperatives wholly owned by water users; pending House Commerce
HB 224 Reynolds – Provides for the regulation of non-profit water utility cooperatives wholly owned by water users; pending House Commerce
HB 263 Geymann – Provides for applicability of regulations relative to water supplies (limits installation of backflow preventer and more than one water meter at certain residential properties; allows domestic well owners to decline connection to public supply); pending House Natural Resources
HB 892 Fannin – Requires the La. Public Service Commission to provide written notice to each rural water utility system required to file an annual report detailing the system's financial and operating conditions;pending House Commerce
SB 75 Morrell – Requires Department of Health and Hospitals to promulgate rules and regulations to maintain minimum disinfectant residual levels of free or total chlorine throughout public water systems; pending House Natural Resources
SB 421 Cortez – Requires Department of Health and Hospitals to promulgate rules and regulations requiring iron and manganese control for all community water systems; pending Senate Health and Welfare
SB425 Cortez – Provides additional enforcement for local governments and political subdivisions relative to private water supply or sewer system providers; pending Senate Local and Municipal Affairs
Surface Water and Groundwater Management
HB 782 J. Thompson – Deposits proceeds collected by the state for surface water withdrawals from certain water bodies into the Aquatic Plant Control Fund; pending House Natural Resources
HB 793 St. Germain – Provides for the membership of the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation Commission; pending Senate Transportation, Highways, and Public Works
HB 810 Harrison – Prohibits operating any freshwater diversion at a flow rate that negatively affects commercial and recreational fisheries; pending House Natural Resources
HB 811 Hodges – Creates the Comite River Diversion Canal Project Task Force; pending House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works
HB 905 Anders – Changes the boundaries of the Black River Lake Recreation and Water Conservation District and the composition of the board; pending House final passage
*HB 1117 Johnson – Provides for water remediation standards; pending House Natural Resources
*HB 1120 James – Determines that the Southern Hills Aquifer System is an area of groundwater concern and a critical area of groundwater concern and provides for limitations on groundwater removal from such aquifer system; pending House Natural Resources
*HCR 47 Broadwater – Urges and requests DEQ to report to the Legislature on needs for a clean-up of Capitol Lake; pending House Natural Resources
*HCR 52 Foil – Urges the Commissioner of Conservation to evaluate the appropriateness of restrictions on withdrawals from the Southern Hills Aquifer System; pending House Natural Resources
SB141 Long – Extends the time when the state may enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement for the sale of surface water; pending House Natural Resources
SB 430 Walsworth – Authorizes the transfer of certain state land in Union Parish to Union/Lincoln Regional Water Supply Initiative; pending House Natural Resources
SB 452 Chabert – Provides additional powers, duties, authorities, and functions for statutorily created fresh water districts which include more than one parish; withdrawn from the files of the Senate
*SB 634 Claitor – Provides relative to groundwater and surface water management; provides for a comprehensive Louisiana Water Code; pending Senate Judiciary A