(The Center Square) – A Louisiana House committee unanimously advanced legislation that would change how private property can be expropriated for industrial and utility projects, giving landowner advocates a rare win.
House Bill 841 moved out of the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and now heads to the full House for a vote in May. The panel’s action comes weeks after it rejected more far-reaching legislation that would have banned the use of eminent domain for carbon capture projects.
Often referred to as expropriation in Louisiana law, eminent domain allows the state or authorized private companies to take private land for public infrastructure, provided the owner is paid fair market value. HB 841 seeks to restrict this authority by mandating new procedural requirements companies must meet before they can seek to seize property through the courts.
The bill’s sponsor, committee chair Brett Geymann, said the legislation would “create a level playing field” for Louisiana residents facing the threat of losing their land to major industrial developments. The bill specifically addresses the conduct of “landmen”—the industry negotiators who work with property owners to secure land and rights.
By establishing a formal “code of conduct” for landmen, Geymann said the bill sets clear expectations for communication and negotiation to prevent residents from feeling pressured into signing agreements under the threat of legal action.
“We’re not taking away the rights of the people at all,” Geymann said during the hearing, adding that the bill focuses on ensuring transparency and fairness. “This is about making sure that if someone is going to take your property, they have to sit down, talk to you face-to-face, and follow a process that respects the landowner as much as the project,” he said.
Under the proposed law, the company or its landman must conduct, or attempt to conduct, at least five in-person meetings with a property owner to demonstrate “good-faith” negotiations. The bill also mandates that a formal written offer be provided at least 30 days before any expropriation suit is filed, including a detailed legal description of the property and any proposed improvements.
HB 841 further shifts the financial burden of potential legal battles by requiring the companies to pay all court costs. It also adds a layer of transparency to property valuations by requiring appraisers to provide a sworn statement confirming they are a disinterested third party with no financial stake in the project.
On Monday, Representative Jessica Domangue (R-Houma), a committee member, introduced House Concurrent Resolution 80, titled “The Landman Code of Conduct,” to address “rogue” landmen who use threats of expropriation to pressure residents.
Domangue proposed amendments to HB 841 specifying penalties that include fines, revocations of permits, and the loss of operating rights.
Critics of the proposed law, including Vernon Parish resident John West, testified in a related hearing last week that the committee often prioritizes economic benefits for corporations over the concerns of individual landowners.
“I’ve noticed a trend, particularly with this committee,” West said. “It’s very clear that considering people is last, and considering economics is first.”
