Provides for electronic communication and notification at the Department of Environmental Quality in certain situations. (8/1/26) (EG SEE FISC NOTE SG EX)

Senate Bill 99 amends seven sections of Louisiana's environmental law to authorize electronic communication and notification by the Department of Environmental Quality across multiple regulatory processes. The bill modifies R.S. 30:2022(A)(1), 2050.1(B)(2)(a), 2050.3(B)(1) and (3), 2116, 2162(A)(2), 2181, and 2250 to allow permit applications to be filed electronically rather than only in written form, permit mailing lists to include email addresses for electronic transmission, notices of violations and penalties to be transmitted electronically, comments to be submitted electronically, and various required notifications and lists to be distributed via email. Critically, the bill establishes that electronic transmission of notices, comments, and distributions shall have the same legal force and effect as written notice provided by mail or certified mail, ensuring that electronic methods satisfy all statutory requirements for formal notification.

The practical effect extends to multiple constituencies interacting with DEQ. Applicants seeking environmental permits, licenses, registrations, variances, or LPDES variances may now submit applications electronically, streamlining the administrative process. Citizens and public interest groups within affected parishes may request electronic notice of proposed facilities and provide email addresses for receipt of notifications. Parish governing authorities, municipalities, and state legislators will receive required lists of hazardous waste applications and permits via email rather than mail. Disposers and generators of hazardous waste will receive tax determinations electronically. The Department of Revenue will receive hazardous waste tax notices by electronic transmission. These changes reduce printing and postal costs while accelerating information distribution across environmental enforcement and permitting functions.

The amendments operate within Louisiana's broader environmental permitting and enforcement framework established by Title 30 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. The law maintains all existing substantive requirements regarding permit applications, violation notices, penalty assessments, and notifications to local government entities and interested parties; the bill simply adds electronic means as an alternative to traditional mail delivery. The statutory modifications preserve the requirement that parish governing authorities be notified and that they in turn notify affected municipalities, maintaining the existing structure for local government involvement in environmental decisions. By providing that electronic transmission has the same force and effect as certified mail, the bill ensures that electronic notices satisfy any legal requirement for proof of delivery or constructive notice that may arise under state administrative law or due process considerations.