HLS 21RS-710 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 617
BY REPRESENTATIVE MCCORMICK
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
ENERGY: Establishes Louisiana as a fossil fuel sanctuary state
1 AN ACT
2To establish Louisiana as a fossil fuel sanctuary state; to provide for prohibitions; to provide
3 an effective date; and to provide for related matters.
4Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
5 Section 1. It is the intent of the Legislature of Louisiana to designate Louisiana as
6a fossil fuel sanctuary in order to protect its fossil fuel energy sector from being restricted,
7through federal executive orders, agency orders, statutes, laws, rules, or regulations in effect
8on or after the effective date of this Act.
9 Section 2. The following, or any other similar, federal acts, laws, executive orders,
10administrative orders, rules, and regulations shall be considered infringements on state
11sovereignty and on the state's right to autonomy as guaranteed by the Constitution of the
12United States and the Constitution of Louisiana:
13 (1) Any tax, levy, fee, or stamp imposed on fossil fuels or fossil fuel byproducts not
14common to all other goods and services that may reasonably be expected to have a negative
15effect on the purchase, sale, use, or ownership of those items.
16 (2) Any act forbidding the possession, ownership, use, or sale of fossil fuels or fossil
17fuel byproducts, including but not limited to the cancellation of oil lease sales.
18 (3) Any enforcement method used to prevent the acquisition or use of fossil fuels
19or fossil fuel byproducts.
20 Section 3. Other than compliance with an order of the court, notwithstanding any
21law, regulation, rule, or order to the contrary, no agency or political subdivision of this state,
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HB NO. 617
1or employee of an agency or political subdivision of this state acting in his or her official
2capacity shall knowingly and willingly participate in any way in the enforcement of any
3federal act, law, order, rule, or regulation which negatively impacts fossil fuel energy in
4Louisiana if the act, law, order, rule, or regulation does not exist under the laws of this state;
5nor shall they utilize any assets, state funds, or funds allocated by the state to local entities
6on or after the effective date of this Act, in whole or in part, to engage in any activity that
7aids a federal agency, federal agent, or corporation providing services to the federal
8government in the enforcement or any investigation pursuant to the enforcement of any
9federal act, law, order, rule, or regulation which negatively impacts fossil fuel energy in
10Louisiana if the act, law, order, rule, or regulation does not exist under the laws of this state.
11 Section 4. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
12signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
13by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
14vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
15effective on the day following such approval.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 617 Original 2021 Regular Session McCormick
Abstract: Establishes Louisiana as a fossil fuel sanctuary state.
Proposed law specifies that any federal acts, laws, executive orders, administrative orders,
rules, or regulations which levy any tax, fee, or stamp imposed on fossil fuels or fossil fuel
byproducts; any act forbidding the possession, ownership, use, or sale of fossil fuels or fossil
fuel byproducts, including but not limited to the cancellation of oil lease sales; and any
enforcement method used to prevent the acquisition or use of fossil fuels or fossil fuel
byproducts are infringements on state sovereignty and on the state's right to autonomy as
guaranteed by the Constitution of the U.S. and the Constitutution of La.
Proposed law prohibits any agency, political subdivision, or employee of an agency or
political subdivision from knowingly and willingly participating in the enforcement of any
federal act, law, order, rule, or regulation which negatively impacts fossil fuel energy in La.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
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