HB 697 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

SUNSET LAW: Re-creates the Department of Environmental Quality

HB 697 re-creates Louisiana's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) with a specific end date, effective June 30, 2026, and requires it to terminate on July 1, 2031. The bill directly affects the DEQ and all agencies currently operating under it, as their statutory authority will end by the 2031 termination date. Key provisions include repealing an existing statute (R.S. 49:191(1)(j)) and enacting new language (R.S. 49:191(3)(b)) to set the 2031 deadline for the DEQ’s operations. The department may be re-established before 2031 under existing procedures, but this bill establishes a fixed 5-year timeframe for its current structure. This is a procedural sunset law, not a policy change to environmental regulations.

Issues: ✗ Environment

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Feb 27, 2026 Signed May 11, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB697 Original → HB697 Act · 1 edit

MINOR

This bill converts a draft proposal into the final enacted law, updating the header to reflect its official status as Act No. 83. The substantive policy content regarding the sunset dates for the Department of Environmental Quality and the specific statutory sections repealed remains identical to the original draft.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's legal effect remains unchanged; the text of the law itself is identical to the original version.

TECHNICAL

Updated the document header from 'HLS 26RS-1137 ORIGINAL' to 'ENROLLED ACT No. 83' to signify the bill has been signed into law.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 27, 2026 · House Mar 30, 2026

How they voted

36–0

Passed · 4 other

Total votes 40

Apr 27, 2026

D Democratic12

12 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican28

24 Yea 4

85% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 27, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

upper

Apr 15, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

Apr 14, 2026

Upper · Passed

Rules suspended. Reported favorably.

upper

Mar 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Mar 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably (15-0).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

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

lower

Feb 27, 2026

Committee

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

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors