Authorizes the governing authority of Beauregard Parish to determine whether carbon dioxide sequestration and pipelines transporting carbon dioxide may be permitted within the parish

This bill enacts new provisions in Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 30 that grant Beauregard Parish governing authority the power to prohibit Class VI carbon dioxide injection wells, carbon dioxide sequestration, and pipelines transporting carbon dioxide within parish boundaries. The legislation adds R.S. 30:4(C)(17)(c), which subjects the Department of Conservation and Energy secretary's authority over carbon dioxide projects to local option procedures; R.S. 30:1104(F), which prevents the secretary from issuing permits or certificates authorizing such projects in parishes where they have been prohibited by local action; and R.S. 30:1104.3, which establishes the specific mechanism allowing Beauregard Parish to exercise this local control through resolution or ordinance. The bill further provides that such local prohibitions supersede any conflicting state or local law, regulation, order, permit, or certificate, and prevents any prior applications or agreements from conferring vested rights that would contradict a parish prohibition.

Beauregard Parish and its governing authority are the primary beneficiaries, gaining explicit statutory authority to determine whether carbon dioxide-related infrastructure projects may proceed locally. The Department of Conservation and Energy's permitting authority is substantially constrained by this bill, as the secretary loses the ability to issue final permits for Class VI wells, sequestration activities, or carbon dioxide pipelines if the parish has adopted a prohibition, regardless of whether applications were previously filed. Companies and entities seeking to develop carbon dioxide projects, transport infrastructure, or injection facilities in Beauregard Parish will be subject to local control and potentially unable to obtain state permits if the parish exercises its new prohibition authority. Landowners and mineral rights holders may find their ability to engage in or authorize such activities within the parish limited by parish-level decision making.

This legislation operates within Louisiana's existing regulatory framework governing oil and gas operations and geologic storage under Title 30 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. Traditionally, the Department of Conservation and Energy maintains primary authority over subsurface activities and injection well permitting under Chapter 11, which addresses underground injection control. The bill creates a localized exception to this state-centered regulatory model by recognizing parish police power over land use and public health, safety, and welfare. The measure reflects a federalism-style approach wherein local governments gain veto power over state-permitted activities within their jurisdiction. Section 1 references the Beauregard Parish Police Jury's October 7, 2025 resolution opposing carbon dioxide sequestration, establishing legislative context for the action. The severability clause in Section 3 ensures that if any provision is invalidated, the remaining portions continue to operate, and the bill becomes effective upon gubernatorial signature or lapse of the time for action.