Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes > Title 30 > Subtitle I > Chapter 9 - Surface Mining and Reclamation Act

• Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Agency: means a department, office, division, agency, commission, board, committee, or other organizational unit of a governmental entity. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:341
• Agency: means a department, office, division, agency, commission, board, committee, or other organizational unit of state government. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:352
• Agency head: means the chief executive or administrative officer of an agency or the chairman of a board or commission. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:341
• Agency head: means the chief executive, administrative officer of an agency, or the chairman of a board or commission. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:352
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Elected official: means any person holding an office in state government which is filled by the vote of the electorate. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:352
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• FERC licensee: shall mean and refer to:

  (i)  Any person licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or other appropriate federal agency on or before December 31, 1988, to construct, operate, or maintain a run-of-the-river hydroelectric generating facility located on the Mississippi River in the state of Louisiana;

  (ii)  Any person to whom such license has been transferred, in whole or in part, with the approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or other appropriate federal agency;

  (iii)  Any successor, by involuntary transfer or foreclosure or otherwise, to any person to whom such license had been issued, transferred, or assigned, and all subsequent successors of any of the foregoing persons;

  (iv)  Any assign of any person to whom such license had been issued, transferred, or assigned;

  (v)  Any successor owner of such hydroelectric facilities;

  (b)  The term "person" shall mean an individual, a corporation, a partnership, a joint venture, a trust, an unincorporated association, or a government or any agency, municipality, parish, or political subdivision thereof; and

  (c)  The terms "hydroelectric facilities" or "hydroelectric generating facilities" shall mean and refer to a run-of-the-river hydroelectric generating facility located on the Mississippi River in the state of Louisiana and initially licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or other appropriate federal agency on or before December 31, 1988. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 33:4263

• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Impeachment: (1) The process of calling something into question, as in "impeaching the testimony of a witness." (2) The constitutional process whereby the House of Representatives may "impeach" (accuse of misconduct) high officers of the federal government for trial in the Senate.
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• person: includes a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
• Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Public employee: means anyone who is:

              (a) An administrative officer or official of state government who is not holding an elective office. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:352

• Public funds: means monies of the state, including but not limited to monies from the state risk management program established by La. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:352
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Public servant: means a public employee or an elected official. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:352
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Sexual harassment: means unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, physical, or inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature which explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment or the holding of office, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment, by a public servant of the state. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:352
• State government: means the legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch of state government, but shall not include any parish, municipality, or any other unit of local government, including a school board special district, mayor's court, justice of the peace court, district attorney, sheriff, clerk of court, coroner, tax assessor, registrar of voters, or any other elected parochial or municipal official. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:352
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.