A Louisiana lawmaker says a bill moving through the Legislature would protect businesses, landowners and energy producers from what he calls speculative climate change lawsuits.
During ‘Mornings with Brian Haldane’, State Rep. Brett Geymann discussed House Bill 804, legislation designed to prevent lawsuits that seek damages tied specifically to climate change. Geymann said the bill would not affect claims involving direct environmental harm, emissions violations or other violations of state and federal law. Instead, it targets lawsuits that attempt to link damages to global climate change.
Geymann pointed to lawsuits filed in other states as examples of why he believes Louisiana should act now. He cited cases in Washington state, Colorado and elsewhere that seek damages from fossil fuel companies based on claims involving heat-related deaths, rising insurance costs and other impacts allegedly connected to climate change.
According to Geymann, the bill creates a legal barrier against those types of claims before they gain traction in Louisiana. He argued that proving which company or source caused specific climate-related damages is nearly impossible because emissions come from many locations around the world.
Coastal Lawsuits Not Affected
The bill was amended in the Senate, but Geymann said the changes strengthened the legislation rather than weakening it. He explained that the amendment clarifies that House Bill 804 does not apply to existing coastal lawsuits or future coastal claims.
Those cases focus on coastal permitting, erosion and environmental impacts rather than climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, he said.
Support From Multiple Industries
Geymann said the legislation has support from a range of groups, including farmers, landowners, logging interests, cattle producers and business organizations.
He argued that climate-related lawsuits could affect more than large energy companies. Property owners with pipeline or energy leases, as well as other businesses connected to the industry, could also become targets of litigation.
House Bill 804 is expected to move forward as the legislative session approaches its final days.