ENROLLED
2018 Second Extraordinary Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 3
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCFARLAND AND SENATORS THOMPSON AND
WALSWORTH
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To create a task force to study and make recommendations relative to state and local
regulations, fees, and taxes on commercial transporters of oilfield and agricultural
products and the funding of repairs to parish roads used by such transporters and to
submit a written report of its findings and recommendations to the House Committee
on Transportation, Highways and Public Works and the Senate Committee on
Transportation, Highways, and Public Works not later than January 31, 2019.
WHEREAS, trucks that haul oilfield and agricultural products must often use rural,
parish roads to access pick-up and delivery points; where such roads were originally
designed for local, private vehicle traffic, the weight of such trucks combined with the
frequency of trips sometimes contributes to road damage; and
WHEREAS, the state constitution provides that a substantial portion of the state
severance tax is remitted to the governing authority of the parish in which severance or
production occurs, and such funds may be used to repair roads utilized by companies
transporting oilfield and agricultural products; and
WHEREAS, some parishes require trucking companies to pay road bonds and permit
fees, in addition to severance taxes; and
WHEREAS, the trucking industry is subject to regulation by the federal government,
the state government, and in some cases, the Public Service Commission, and all of these
layers of regulation add costs for private entities in this business; and
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WHEREAS, the addition of local regulations and fees, which may vary from one
parish to the next, to this already complex and costly regulatory scheme could make the
operation of a trucking business cost prohibitive in some locations; and
WHEREAS, the oil and gas and timber industries are among the leading sources of
revenue for Louisiana; they combine to provide employment opportunities for thousands of
Louisiana citizens and greatly contribute to local economies as well, but without an effective
transportation system for their products and byproducts, they would not be able to function;
and
WHEREAS, recognizing, however, that parish governments often bear the costs of
repairing parish roads, the legislature is considering a state permitting scheme in which
revenues collected for a state permit are distributed to parish governments as a replacement
for local permits, road bonds, and other local funding arrangements; and
WHEREAS, given the importance of maintaining roads in safe, working condition
and the complexity of the details associated with this policy proposal, it is appropriate that
the legislature should create a task force which will investigate these issues and related
topics and report its findings and recommendations to the legislature.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
create a task force to study and make recommendations relative to state and local
regulations, fees, and taxes on commercial transporters of oilfield and agricultural products
and the funding of repairs to parish roads used by such transporters and to submit a written
report of its findings and recommendations to the House Committee on Transportation,
Highways and Public Works and the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways, and
Public Works not later than January 31, 2019.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the membership of the task force shall be as
follows:
(1) Two members appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, one of
whom shall be a member of the House of Representatives.
(2) Two members appointed by the president of the Senate, one of whom shall be
a member of the Senate.
(3) One member appointed by the governor.
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(4) The secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development or his
designee.
(5) The secretary of the Department of Natural Resources or his designee.
(6) The commissioner of agriculture or his designee.
(7) The president of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association or his designee.
(8) The executive director of the Louisiana Forestry Association or his designee.
(9) The president of the Louisiana Motor Transport Association or his designee.
(10) The president of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation or his designee.
(11) The president of the American Sugar Cane League or his designee.
(12) The president of the Louisiana Logging Council or his designee.
(13) The president of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana or his designee, the
executive director of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana or his designee, and a member
of the executive board of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana selected by the board.
(14) The president of the Louisiana Municipal Association or his designee.
(15) The chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, Highways, and
Public Works and the chairman of the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways, and
Public Works.
(16) The president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry or his
designee.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the secretary of the Department of
Transportation and Development shall convene the first meeting, not later than September 1,
2018, and that department staff shall provide administrative support to the task force.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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