SLS 23RS-146 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 22
BY SENATOR WOMACK
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
CONSERVATION. Provides relative to soil conservation policy. (gov sig)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 3:1251 and to repeal R.S. 3:1252, 1253, 1254, and 1255, relative
3 to soil conservation policy; to repeal provisions requiring Louisiana State University
4 to administer federal soil conservation policy; to remove inactive programs; to
5 provide for technical changes; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 3:1251 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 ยง1251. Adoption of federal soil conservation policy
9 A. It is hereby recognized and declared, as a matter of legislative
10 determination that the public welfare of this state requires the cooperation of this
11 state with other states and with the federal government in the accomplishment of the
12 policy declared by the Congress of the United States in the Soil Conservation and
13 Domestic Allotment Act, and particularly in Section 7(a) thereof, to-wit including:
14 (1) preservation and improvement of soil fertility:.
15 (2) promotion of the economic use and conservation of land:.
16 (3) diminution of exploitation and wasteful and unscientific use of national
17 soil resources:.
Page 1 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 22
SLS 23RS-146 ORIGINAL
1 (4) the protection of rivers and harbors against the result of soil erosion in
2 aid of maintaining the navigability of waters and water courses and in aid of flood
3 control: and.
4 (5) re-establishment, at as rapid a rate as the Secretary of Agriculture
5 determines to be practicable and in the general public interest, of the ratio between
6 the purchasing power of the net income per person on farms and that of the income
7 per person not on farms that prevailed during the five-year period August 1909--July
8 1914, inclusive, as determined from statistics available in the United States
9 Department of Agriculture and the maintenance of such ratio. The powers conferred
10 under Sections 7 to 14, inclusive, of this Act shall be used to assist voluntary action
11 calculated to effectuate the purposes specified in this section. Such powers shall not
12 be used to discourage the production of supplies of foods and fibers sufficient to
13 maintain normal domestic human consumption as determined by the Secretary from
14 the records of domestic human consumption in the years 1920 to 1929, inclusive,
15 taking into consideration increased population, quantities of any commodity that
16 were forced into domestic consumption by decline in exports during such period,
17 current trend in domestic consumption and exports of particular commodities, and
18 the quantities of substitutes available for domestic consumption within any general
19 class of food commodities. In carrying out the purpose of this section due regard
20 shall be given to the maintenance of a continuous and stable supply of agricultural
21 commodities adequate to meet consumer demand at prices fair to both producers and
22 consumers.
23 B. The Legislature of the State of Louisiana therefore accepts the provisions
24 and requirements of the said Act, and adopts the policy thereof as the policy of the
25 State of Louisiana and the purposes thereof as the purposes of this Part.
26 Section 2. R.S. 3:1252, 1253, 1254, and 1255 are hereby repealed in their entirety.
27 Section 3. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
28 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
29 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
Page 2 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 22
SLS 23RS-146 ORIGINAL
1 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
2 effective on the day following such approval.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Curry Lann.
DIGEST
SB 22 Original 2023 Regular Session Womack
Present law provides that it is the legislative intent of the state to accept, adopt, and
cooperate with other states and the federal government to accomplish the policies of the
federal Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, including:
(1)preservation and improvement of soil fertility.
(2)promotion of the economic use and conservation of land.
(3)diminution of exploitation and wasteful and unscientific use of national soil
resources.
(4) the protection of rivers and harbors against the result of soil erosion in aid of
maintaining the navigability of waters and water courses and in aid of flood control.
(5) re-establishment of the ratio between the purchasing power of the net income per
person on farms and that of the income per person not on farms that prevailed during
the five-year period August 1909-July 1914.
Proposed law removes outdated provisions relative to the re-establishment of the ratio
between the purchasing power of the net income per person on farms and that of the income
per person not on farms and otherwise retains present law.
Present law designates the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University as the state
agency responsible for carrying out federal soil conservation policy.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Present law directs Louisiana State University to formulate an annual soil conservation plan
and submit to the Secretary of Agriculture.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Present law authorizes Louisiana State University to accept and receive all grants of money
made pursuant to federal law for expenditures necessary in carrying out the soil conservation
plan.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Present law authorizes Louisiana State University to designate agencies it may deem
necessary and provide for research and educational activities in connection with the
formulation and operation of the soil conservation plan.
Proposed law repeals present law.
Effective upon signature of the governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Amends R.S. 3:1251; repeals R.S. 3:1252, 1253, 1254, and 1255)
Page 3 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.