HB344 • 2026

AGRICULTURE/GRAIN: Provides relative to the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

Agriculture

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Kimberly Coates
Last action: 2026-05-11
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 69
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about increasing the upper and lower threshold balances of the monies within the authority, so this claim was removed.

Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund Changes

This bill changes the balance levels at which the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund stops collecting money from farmers and resumes collection.

What This Bill Does

Changes the point at which the fund stops collecting money from farmers to $25 million instead of $12 million.
Requires collection of money again if the fund's balance drops below $22 million after it has stopped collecting.
Any collected money remains in the Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority even when collections are suspended.

Who It Names or Affects

Farmers who pay into the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund
The Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority

Terms To Know

Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund: A fund that collects money from farmers to help with losses related to grain and cotton.
Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority: An organization in Louisiana that manages financial matters for agriculture, including the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify how much money will be collected or what happens if the fund's balance goes below $22 million.
It is unclear how these changes will affect farmers who rely on the fund for support.

Bill History

2026-05-11 H
Effective date: 05/11/2026.
2026-05-11 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 69.
2026-05-05 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-04 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-04-29 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-04-28 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-04-27 S
Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-04-20 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-04-15 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-04-14 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-07 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development.
2026-04-01 S
Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-01 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-03-31 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/01/2026.
2026-03-30 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-26 H
Reported favorably (13-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-24 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development.
2026-02-24 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

AGRICULTURE/GRAIN: Provides relative to the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 692026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 344
BY REPRESENTATIVE COATES
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 3:3412.1(E), relative to the Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund;
3 to provide for changes in balance allocation and suspension of collections under the
4 fund; to provide relative to the balance within the Louisiana Agricultural Finance
5 Authority; to increase the upper and lower threshold balances of the monies within
6 the authority; to provide for the collection of assessments; to provide for an effective
7 date; and to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 3:3412.1(E) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
10 §3412.1. Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund; creation; assessment; rules and
11 regulations; suspension of assessment; eligibility for reimbursement;
12 availability of money; prorated claims; reimbursement for administrative
13 expenses; failure to pay; subrogation
14 * * *
15 E. Beginning on July 1st first following the fiscal year in which the balance
16 within the Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority reaches a level of twelve
17 twenty-five million dollars, the commission shall suspend collection of the
18 assessment required by this Section. If after suspension of collection the balance is
19 less than ten twenty-two million dollars, the commission shall require collection of
20 the assessment. Any assessments collected after the balance reaches twelve twenty-
21 five million dollars, but prior to the suspension of collection, shall remain within the
22 Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority.
23 * * *
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 344 ENROLLED
1 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
2 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
3 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
4 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
5 effective on the day following such approval.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.