HLS 23RS-681 ENGROSSED 2023 Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO. 330 BY REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON TAX/SALES-USE-EXEMPT: Creates a state and local sales tax exemption for purchases of agricultural fencing materials by commercial farmers 1 AN ACT 2To amend and reenact R.S. 47:337.9(D)(35), to enact R.S. 47:305.79, 321(P)(120), 3 321.1(I)(120), 331(V)(120), and 337.9(D)(36), and to repeal R.S. 47:305.77, relative 4 to sales and use tax exemptions and rebates; to repeal provisions establishing a state 5 sales and use tax rebate for the purchase of certain items by commercial farmers; to 6 provide for a state and local sales and use tax exemption for the purchase of certain 7 items by commercial farmers; to exempt from state and local sales and use tax 8 certain agricultural fencing materials purchased by commercial farmers; to provide 9 for a limitation associated with the exemption; to provide for definitions; to provide 10 for applicability; to authorize administrative rulemaking; to provide for effective 11 dates; and to provide for related matters. 12Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: 13 Section 1. R.S. 47:337.9(D)(35) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 1447:305.79, 321(P)(120), 321.1(I)(120), 331(V)(120), and 337.9(D)(36) are hereby enacted 15to read as follows: 16 §305.79. Exemptions; certain agricultural fencing materials 17 A. The sales and use tax imposed by the state of Louisiana pursuant to R.S. 18 47:321, 321.1, and 331 and R.S. 51:1286 or any political subdivision of the state 19 shall not apply to the purchase by commercial farmers of agricultural fencing Page 1 of 5 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 23RS-681 ENGROSSED HB NO. 330 1 materials. However, no exemption shall be granted for any purchase for which a 2 rebate was issued in accordance with R.S. 47:305.77. 3 B. For purposes of this Section, the following terms shall have the meanings 4 ascribed to them in this Subsection: 5 (1) "Agricultural fencing materials" means gates, hog wire fencing, barbed 6 wire fencing, lumber or steel used as posts or rails, nails, screws, hinges, and 7 concrete consisting of premixed dry mortar used for the purpose of fencing 8 agricultural livestock. 9 (2) "Commercial farmer" has the same meaning as provided in R.S. 47:301. 10 C. The secretary of the Department of Revenue may promulgate rules in 11 accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act as are necessary to implement the 12 provisions of this Section. 13 * * * 14 §321. Imposition of tax 15 * * * 16 P. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, including but 17 not limited to any contrary provisions of this Chapter, beginning July 1, 2018, 18 through June 30, 2025, there shall be no exemptions and no exclusions to the tax 19 levied pursuant to the provisions of this Section, except for the retail sale, use, 20 consumption, distribution, or storage for use or consumption of the following: 21 * * * 22 (120) Agricultural fencing materials purchased by commercial farmers as 23 provided in R.S. 47:305.79. 24 * * * 25 §321.1. Imposition of tax 26 * * * 27 I. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, including but 28 not limited to any contrary provisions of this Chapter, beginning July 1, 2018, 29 through June 30, 2025, there shall be no exemptions and no exclusions to the tax Page 2 of 5 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 23RS-681 ENGROSSED HB NO. 330 1 levied pursuant to the provisions of this Section, except for the retail sale, use, 2 consumption, distribution, or storage for use or consumption of the following: 3 * * * 4 (120) Agricultural fencing materials purchased by commercial farmers as 5 provided in R.S. 47:305.79. 6 * * * 7 §331. Imposition of tax 8 * * * 9 V. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, including but 10 not limited to any contrary provisions of this Chapter, beginning July 1, 2018, 11 through June 30, 2025, there shall be no exemptions and no exclusions to the tax 12 levied pursuant to the provisions of this Section, except for the retail sale, use, 13 consumption, distribution, or storage for use or consumption of the following: 14 * * * 15 (120) Agricultural fencing materials purchased by commercial farmers as 16 provided in R.S. 47:305.79. 17 * * * 18 §337.9. Exemptions applicable to local tax in Chapters 2, 2-A, and 2-B; other 19 exemptions applicable 20 * * * 21 D. 22 * * * 23 (35) R.S. 47:305.79, "key words": purchase of agricultural fencing materials 24 by commercial farmers. 25 (36) R.S. 47:6040, "key words": antique motor vehicles. 26 * * * 27 Section 2. R.S. 47:305.77 is hereby repealed in its entirety. 28 Section 3. The provisions of Section 1 of this Act shall apply to taxable periods 29beginning on or after August 1, 2023. Page 3 of 5 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 23RS-681 ENGROSSED HB NO. 330 1 Section 4.(A) This Section and Sections 1 and 3 of this Act shall become effective 2on August 1, 2023. 3 (B) Section 2 of this Act shall become effective on August 1, 2024. 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 330 Engrossed 2023 Regular Session Mike Johnson Abstract: Establishes a state and local sales and use tax exemption for the purchase of certain agricultural fencing materials by commercial farmers; repeals a state sales tax rebate for purchases by commercial farmers of agricultural fencing materials used to replace or repair enclosures in federally declared disaster areas that were damaged or destroyed by hurricanes in 2020 or 2021. Present law imposes a state sales and use tax on the sale, use, lease, or rental of tangible personal property, which tax is composed of the following provisions of present law imposing levies in the following amounts: R.S. 47:302.......2.00% R.S. 47:321.......1.00% R.S. 47:321.1.......0.45% R.S. 47:331.......0.97% R.S. 51:1286.......0.03% Present law provides for numerous exclusions and exemptions from state sales tax and local sales tax. Proposed law provides that no state or local sales and use tax, except the 2.00% levy imposed by present law (R.S. 47:302), shall apply to the purchase by commercial farmers of agricultural fencing materials. Stipulates, however, that no exemption shall be granted for any purchase for which a sales tax rebate was issued in accordance with present law (R.S. 47:305.77). Proposed law provides the following definitions for purposes of proposed law: (1)"Agricultural fencing materials" means gates, hog wire fencing, barbed wire fencing, lumber or steel used as posts or rails, nails, screws, hinges, and concrete consisting of premixed dry mortar used for the purpose of fencing agricultural livestock. (2)"Commercial farmer" has the same meaning as provided in present law (R.S. 47:301). Proposed law establishing the state and local sales and use tax exemption becomes effective Aug. 1, 2023, and applies to taxable periods beginning on or after that date. Present law (R.S. 47:305.77) provides for a state sales and use tax rebate for agricultural fencing materials purchased on or before Dec. 31, 2022, by commercial farmers recovering from certain hurricanes that impacted this state in 2020 and 2021. Allows farmers to apply for the rebate until Dec. 31, 2023, and provides that no rebates shall be issued for applications submitted after that date. Effective Aug. 1, 2024, proposed law repeals present law. Page 4 of 5 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions. HLS 23RS-681 ENGROSSED HB NO. 330 (Amends R.S. 47:337.9(D)(35); Adds R.S. 47:305.79, 321(P)(120), 321.1(I)(120), 331(V)(120), and 337.9(D)(36); Repeals R.S. 47:305.77) Summary of Amendments Adopted by House The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Ways and Means to the original bill: 1. Delete all instances of "lease or rental" in proposed law. 2. Delete proposed law providing a tax exemption for the acquisition of trailers. Delete the defined term "trailer" and its corresponding definition from proposed law. 3. Revise the definition of "agricultural fencing materials" for purposes of proposed law. 4. Remove the tax exemption provided for in proposed law from present law establishing a state sales tax levy of 2.00% (R.S. 47:302); retain the exemption, as otherwise provided in proposed law, within the levies in present law comprising the remainder of the state's overall sales tax (R.S. 47:321, 321.1, and 331 and R.S. 51:1286 which provide, collectively for a 2.45% sales tax). 5. Make technical changes. Page 5 of 5 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.