Louisiana legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Louisiana HR310: ENERGY/OIL & GAS WELLS: Urges and requests the Department of Conservation and Energy to study the state's liability for oil and gas well decommissioning across the value chain
Status: Passed both chambers, June 1, 2026
What the bill says
A resolution To urge and request the Department of Conservation and Energy to study the state's liability for the decommissioning of orphan, inactive, and low-production wells; available sources of funding for decommissioning costs; and methods to reduce the risk to taxpayers for these costs.
From the introduced text:
A RESOLUTION To urge and request the Department of Conservation and Energy to study the state's liability for the decommissioning of orphan, inactive, and low-production wells; available sources of funding for decommissioning costs; and methods to reduce the risk to taxpayers for these costs. WHEREAS, the Department of Conservation and Energy regulates operators and wells through its permitting, monitoring, and enforcement processes to ensure compliance with regulations and to identify and address environmental and public safety risks; and WHEREAS, if an operator abandons a well or does not maintain all of their wells in compliance with regulations, the department will orphan all of the operator's wells; and WHEREAS, the department has in recent years developed processes to better identify and address inactive wells; and WHEREAS, the number of oil and gas wells covered by financial security has increased, but financial security amounts are still insufficient to cover the actual costs of decommissioning; and WHEREAS, funding limitations prevent the department from expanding the Oilfield Site Restoration (OSR) program, as state law limits the department's ability to collect adequate funding to address the orphan well population; and Page 1 of HLS 26RS-5590 ORIGINAL HR NO. WHEREAS, the department's ability to seek restoration costs from prior operators is limited to instances where those costs exceed two hundred fifty thousand dollars per site; and …
Sponsors
- Braud, Jacob (R, 105) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Rules of the House.
- : Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- : Read by title, roll called, yeas 92, nays 0. The resolution was adopted.
- : Scheduled for floor debate on 06/01/2026.
- : Read by title, passed to 3rd reading.
- : Discharged from the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
- : Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
- : Read by title. Lies over under the rules.
Votes
- House Vote on HR 310, FINAL CONSIDERATION (#1860) (June 1, 2026): 92 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is HR310?
- HR310 is a bill in the Louisiana Legislature (2026 Regular Session): ENERGY/OIL & GAS WELLS: Urges and requests the Department of Conservation and Energy to study the state's liability for oil and gas well decommissioning across the value chain.
- What does HR310 do?
- In its own words: A resolution To urge and request the Department of Conservation and Energy to study the state's liability for the decommissioning of orphan, inactive, and low-production wells; available sources of funding for decommissioning costs; and methods to reduce the risk to taxpayers for these costs.
- What is the status of HR310?
- Passed both chambers as of June 1, 2026. Latest action: Taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Rules of the House. (June 3, 2026).
- Who sponsored HR310?
- Braud, Jacob (R, 105).
- Where is the official record for HR310?
- On the Louisiana Legislature website: https://legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?s=26RS&b=HR310
Source: official Louisiana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.