The State of Louisiana has passed several pieces of legislation that deal directly with the responsibilities and operations of the Division of Archaeology.
Chapter 10 - Louisiana Unmarked Human Burial Sites Preservation Act (R.S 8:671-681): identifies the Division of Archaeology as the agency responsible for abandoned cemeteries and unmarked human burials in Louisiana, and establishes processes for protecting and, when necessary, excavating cemeteries and burials when they are encountered.
Chapter 21 - Louisiana Historic Cemetery Preservation Act (R.S 25:931-943): identifies the Division of Archaeology as the agency responsible for permitting any activities at an abandoned cemetery that could potentially disturb the graves, tombs, headstones, fencing or other elements of the cemetery.
Chapter 13 - Archaeological Resources (R.S. 41:1601-1615): establishes the Division of Archaeology and the Louisiana Archaeological Survey and Antiquities Commission. The Division is responsible for establishing rules and regulations pertaining to shipwrecks, prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, maintaining the state’s archaeological site files, undertaking a outreach program, and curating materials from state lands and donations.
Title 25 - Cultural Resources: provides rules and regulations for the responsibilities of the Division of Archaeology established in Chapter 13.
