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HB 637 Louisiana House · 2025 Regular Session

ENERGY: Establishes habitat conversion fees for large-scale solar development

HB 637 authorizes the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to impose habitat conversion fees on large-scale solar power generation facilities. These fees apply to facilities with a footprint of ten acres or more, aiming to mitigate the loss of important wildlife habitats and species. The department will establish rules for calculating a per-acre fee, considering factors like habitat rarity, quality, and the presence of at-risk species. Funds collected will be deposited into the Conservation Fund and used specifically for protecting, replacing, or mitigating habitat loss caused by these solar developments.
Issues: ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates habitat conversion fees for solar developers, directing funds to Conservation Fund to mitigate habitat loss, thus funding environmental programs via new revenue stream.90% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyImposes habitat fees on solar projects to fund conservation, enabling renewable energy expansion while mitigating environmental impact.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentImposes habitat conversion fees on solar projects to fund conservation, directly protecting wildlife habitats and species per bill's intent.95% confidence
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Apr 16, 2025 Last action May 13, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

HB637 Original → HB637 Engrossed · 2 edits · Apr 24, 2025
MINOR
The bill was updated from its original version to an engrossed version, incorporating formatting changes and adding a specific list of eight factors that the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries must consider when calculating fees for habitat conversion. This addition clarifies that fee assessments will not rely on a single metric but will instead account for market value, habitat rarity, species presence, and restoration costs.
Scope change
The scope of the fee calculation methodology was expanded to explicitly include eight distinct criteria, ensuring a more comprehensive and nuanced approach to determining costs.
REQUIREMENT

Added a specific list of eight factors (including market value, habitat rarity, and presence of at-risk species) that the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries must use to calculate conversion fees.

TECHNICAL

Updated the document header and title to reflect the 'Engrossed' status, indicating the bill has passed its final reading in the legislature.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
10
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Apr 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (10-0).
lower
Apr 22, 2025
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Natural Resources and Environment.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Kim Coates
Kim Coates
RRepublican
LA
73