ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 295
BY REPRESENTATIVE BROWN
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact Part II-A of Chapter 28 of Title 3 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes
3 of 1950, comprised of R.S. 3:4321, relative to the forest protection tax; to provide
4 for a forest protection assessment; to provide for unencumbered and unexpended
5 monies in the Forest Protection Fund; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. Part II-A of Chapter 28 of Title 3 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of
8 1950, comprised of R.S. 3:4321, is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
9 PART II-A. Forest Protection Tax Assessment
10 ยง4321. Forest protection tax assessment
11 A. There is hereby levied an annual tax assessment of eight cents per acre
12 on each acre of timberland in the state to be paid by the owners thereof, which shall
13 be known as the forest protection tax assessment. "Timberland", as used in this Part,
14 means bona fide timberland being assessed at its use value as defined and determined
15 pursuant to R.S. 47:2301 et seq.
16 B. The tax assessment shall be entered on the tax rolls by the assessor and
17 shall be paid by the owner of such timberland to the sheriff and ex officio tax
18 collector of the parish in which the timberland is located in the same manner as
19 parish ad valorem taxes and, when collected, shall be remitted to the state treasurer
20 to be used solely as provided in this Part.
21 C. After compliance with the requirements of Article VII, Section 9(B) of
22 the Constitution of Louisiana, relative to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund,
23 and prior to monies being placed in the state general fund, an amount equal to that
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HB NO. 295 ENROLLED
1 deposited as required herein shall be credited to a special fund hereby created in the
2 state treasury to be known as the "Forest Protection Fund".
3 D. The monies in the fund shall be expended by the Department of
4 Agriculture and Forestry for the acquistion acquisition and maintenance of
5 equipment for the protection of forest lands from damage by fire or other causes and
6 only in the amounts appropriated annually by the legislature. All unexpended and
7 unencumbered monies in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall revert to the state
8 general fund Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority. The monies in the fund shall
9 be invested by the treasurer in the same manner as monies in the state general fund,
10 and interest earned on the investment of these monies shall be credited to the state
11 general fund.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.