§ 30:551 — Regulatory designation

Louisiana § 30:551

• Jurisdiction: Louisiana
• Title 30: Mortgages and Privileges

Text

§551. Regulatory designation
A. Pursuant to Article IX, Section 2(A) of the Constitution of Louisiana, the
secretary shall be the authority to regulate natural gas and natural gas transporters and
distribution companies as provided in this Chapter; provided, however, that the Louisiana
Public Service Commission shall remain the authority to regulate the sale of natural gas
moving by pipeline to local distributing systems for resale, and shall regulate resales by those
distributing companies, for the purposes of fixing and regulating the rates and services
charged and rendered by public utilities in such sale; except that those distribution companies
or systems owned or operated by the governing authority of one or more political
subdivisions or subject to regulation in accordance with the provisions of a home rule charter
or plan of government shall be regulated, except as provided in Subsection B of this Section
by the owning or operating governing authority or as provided by such home rule charter or
plan of government.
B. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A of this Section, the secretary shall
be the authority to regulate persons engaged in the transportation of gas or who own or
operate intrastate pipeline facilities for the transportation of gas. The secretary shall establish
by regulation minimum safety standards for pipeline facilities and the transportation of gas,
and those regulations shall be consistent with the rules and regulations authorized by 49
U.S.C. 60101 et seq.
C. The assistant secretary, as permitted by 49 U.S.C. 60105, may certify annually to
the United States Department of Transportation that the state, through the Department of
Conservation and Energy, has regulatory jurisdiction over the safety standards and practices
of intrastate pipelines and liquefied natural gas facilities not otherwise regulated by the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the transportation of gas and liquefied natural
gas associated with those facilities.
D. Except as provided in 49 U.S.C. 60104(c), nothing in this Section authorizes the
secretary to adopt or enforce safety standards for interstate gas pipeline facilities or the
transportation of gas associated with those facilities.
E. The secretary, as permitted by 49 U.S.C. 60101 et seq., may certify annually to
the United States Department of Transportation that the state, through the Department of
Conservation and Energy, has regulatory jurisdiction over the safety standards and practices
of intrastate underground gas storage facilities not otherwise regulated by the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission and the transportation of gas and the storage of gas at those
facilities. The secretary, as permitted by 49 U.S.C. 60101 et seq., may enter into an agency
relationship with the United States Department of Transportation to enforce compliance with
safety standards with respect to interstate gas storage facilities or the transportation of gas
associated with those facilities.

Legislative History

Added by Acts 1973, Ex.Sess., No. 16, §1, emerg. eff. Dec. 8, 1973, at 9:55 A.M. Amended by Acts 1978, No. 669, §1; Acts 1985, No. 250, §1, eff. July 6, 1985; Acts 2015, No. 332, §1; Acts 2018, No. 60, §1; Acts 2025, No. 458, §1, eff. Oct. 1, 2025.