Session Scoop: April 26, 2024

Louisiana REALTORS® • April 29, 2024

Bill Tracking Report as of 4/26/2024

Week 7 Report


The seventh week of the session saw the House starting to hear Senate bills, the Senate starting hearing House bills. On Friday, April 26th, the House sent the Senate the “money bills”, aka the state budget and state capital outlay program, before heading home for the weekend.

 

This will be a short work week for the House as they are not scheduled to go into session on Thursday or Friday; however, the Senate will likely start meeting more frequently as the money bills have made their way to them.

 

Read below for summaries of some of the bills Louisiana REALTORS® is supporting or monitoring on your behalf:

 

Constitutional Convention

HB No. 800, Representative Beau Beaullieu

Status: Pending House Appropriations

Position: Monitor

 

The bill crafting the framework for an upcoming limited Constitutional Convention was reported out of the House and Governmental Affairs Committee and recommitted to the House Committee on Appropriations pursuant to the House rules requiring bills with a fiscal note of a certain amount to be heard by this committee.

 

The homestead exemption as well as the constitutional prohibition on transfer taxes would be up for discussion in a Constitutional Convention.

 

Property Insurance Bills

The momentum continues to grow in the Louisiana Legislature’s push to move forward bills to make Louisiana's insurance laws more like those in other coastal states. The goal of these bills is to attract more property insurers to Louisiana. While the bills are not guaranteed to accomplish this goal, we know the status quo is unsustainable.


SB 295 by Senator Heather Cloud

Status: Pending Senate Concurrence

Position: Support

 

Senate Bill No. 295 would change Louisiana from requiring "prior approval" of proposed insurance rates to a "file & use" system of approving insurance rates, thereby allowing insurers to begin using an actuarily sound market rate subject to receiving the approval of the Commissioner of Insurance within 30 days. This would allow insurers to manage their business better and have more flexibility to price their products.

House Bill No. 613, by Representative Gabe Firment, is a similar bill and it is pending Senate final passage.

 

SB 323 by Senator Kirk Talbot

Status: Pending Senate Concurrence

Position: Support

 

This bill would establish and clarify the rights, duties, and timelines imposed on both the policyholder and insurer to ensure swift resolution of an insured’s claims, including offering insurance companies cure periods to make things right. It would retain the insured's ability to file a bad faith claim and receive damages. The law must allow policyholders to force the insurance company to pay what they owe after a storm, without needing to hire an attorney.


When an insurance company is intentionally underpaying, delaying payment, or otherwise hurting policyholders, they should be heavily penalized, but the claims process must be clear and fair for both the policyholder and the insurer.


HB 611 by Representative Gabe Firment

Status: Pending House Concurrence

Position: Support

 

With a few exceptions, Louisiana’s 3-year rule essentially prohibits an insurer from canceling or non-renewing a property insurance policy if it is in place for three years. Louisiana is the only place on the planet with this type of law giving us a notorious reputation in the insurance industry worldwide.

 

This bill would sunset this rule so that it no longer applied to new policies going forward.

 

It would also allow insurance companies to non-renew up to 5% of their policies currently protected by the law, each year. This would minimize the impact on the overall market, thereby allowing the relatively few policyholders who are nonrenewed time to find coverage with another insurance company. The bill would also prohibit an insurer from charging a homeowners' policy deductible that exceeds 5% of a dwelling's replacement cost value unless the insured requests otherwise.

 

The House amendment to limit non-renewals in any one parish was removed by the Senate. 

The House is scheduled to decide whether to concur in the Senate amendments on April 29, 2024.


Senate Bill No. 307, by Senator Adam Bass, is similar and is pending final House passage.


HB 120 by Representative Matthew Willard

Status: Passed by the Senate

Position: Support

 

Currently, the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program will sunset (end) on June 30, 2025. 

 

This bill would remove the sunset date to allow the program to continue past this date. 

 

It is important to note that the House passed the state budget with $15 million appropriated for this program. However, the budget is not through the process, so this funding is not certain.

 

Public Records Bills

SB No. 502, by Senator Blake Miquez

Status: Subject to call; pending Senate floor action

Position: Monitor

 

This bill would require a Louisiana citizen requesting a public record to provide sufficient information to establish his or her age and identification. 

 

The bill was amended on the Senate floor to not apply to in-person or online access to records in the custody of the clerk of court. The bill has not made it off the Senate floor yet and will be heard again this week.

 

SB No. 423, by Senator Jay Morris

Status: Pending Senate floor action

Position: Monitor

 

This bill would require a public records request to only be from a Louisiana citizen. 

 

It was amended by the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee to not be construed to limit access to readily available public records, including, but not limited to, mortgage and conveyance records.

 

REALTOR® Related Legislation Summaries

SB No. 506 by Senator Rick Edmonds (The Senate Commerce Committee reported former SB No. 322 by a substitute and therefore a new bill number was assigned)

Status: Pending House Commerce

Position: Support

 

Louisiana REALTORS® requested this legislation be filed to curb the predatory practice of what is commonly called the “40-year listing agreement”. 

 

The bill would do this by making it an unfair trade practice to secure a right in a “real estate service agreement” with a mortgage or other encumbrance on a home. Additionally, the bill would provide a simple mechanism for individuals to petition courts to remove these encumbrances from a property title.


The bill defines a “real estate service agreement” as a document executed by a homeowner granting a broker the right to list their home for sale at any time the owner or their heirs want to sell it in exchange for compensating the homeowner. 


By signing these agreements, a homeowner -- usually unknowingly - grants a mortgage on their home to secure obligations in the agreement. And the only way to extinguish the mortgage is to pay the real estate broker holding it – whether the real estate broker listed the home for sale or not. 


These are not listing agreements, rights of first refusals, or options but instead a hybrid mish-mash of things that keep property out of commerce and increase the costs of the home-buying transaction. And must be reined in.


The legislation is now headed to the House after passing unanimously by both the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate.


HB No. 366 by Representative Paula Davis

Status: Pending Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs

Position: Support

 

House Bill No. 959 pertains to a few matters that Louisiana REALTORS® identified as needing to be addressed over the past year or two.

For instance, Louisiana law often uses the term “real estate agent” which could be interpreted to not include a “real estate broker” due to the common practice of referring to “real estate salespersons” as “agents” and “real estate brokers” as “brokers”.

 

If interpreted this way, real estate brokers could be held liable for certain things real estate salespersons would not be held liable for, real estate salespersons could be eligible for certain work real estate brokers may not be eligible for, and real estate brokers could not be qualified to serve on certain local entities while real estate salesperson could.

 

To prevent this from happening, this bill would amend the definition of “agent” in the real estate law to say that both “agent” and “real estate agent” mean a licensee acting under the provisions of the Louisiana Real Estate License Law in a real estate transaction.” 


The bill also would “clean up” a few issues with defined terms in the Louisiana Real Estate Licensing Law, such as amending the definition of “listing agent” to ensure it would only be read to mean someone licensed by LREC to engage in real estate transactions and not LREC licensed real estate education providers or continuing education vendors.


HB No. 959 by Representative Daryl Deshotel (became HB No. 972)

Status: HB No. 959 was reported by substitute; HB No. 972 is pending House floor action)

Position: Monitor

 

This bill would have “sunset” the existence of professional and occupational licenses by setting a date for them to expire unless “renewed” by the passage of future legislation. It would have included real estate licenses, real estate appraiser licenses, and all others except medical and law licenses. This concept is referred to as “sunsetting”.


However, a substitute bill was adopted in the House Commerce Committee that no longer applies to the real estate profession and instead only allows the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners to grant certain temporary permits and licenses.


SB No. 456 by Senator Thomas Pressley

Status: Pending House Commerce

Position: Monitor

 

Senate Bill No. 456, Senator Thomas Pressley, has a sunset provision similar to that of the original House Bill No. 959, but it is much more involved. It includes all professional and occupational licenses including those involving real estate just as House Bill No. 959 originally did. 


When the sunset concept was first implemented for state departments, each entity appeared before its legislative oversight committee to discuss department activities.  A bill would then be filed in the next legislative session to “renew” the department.   While these hearings are no longer a common occurrence, a bill is still filed to “renew” departments each time one is set to “sunset”.


Louisiana REALTORS® has no reason to believe the process of “sunsetting” professional and occupational licenses would work any differently and therefore has a neutral position on the bill.


Bill Tracking Report by Numerical Order (as of 4/26/24) Bill Tracking Report by Position (as of 4/26/24)
By Louisiana REALTORS® June 1, 2026
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By Louisiana REALTORS® May 29, 2026
Louisiana REALTORS® closed out Week 12 of the 2026 Regular Session in the final push toward sine die, with several priority bills either crossing the finish line, landing on the Governor’s desk, or moving through the last major stage of session. The headline for the association is a major win on HB 468 by Rep. Troy Hebert, the residential wholesaling bill, which cleared conference committee with the fixes Louisiana REALTORS® was seeking and was scheduled for final House action on May 29. With the constitutional deadline for third reading and final passage falling on Friday, May 29, and sine die adjournment set for Monday, June 1, the last hours of session became decisive for the remaining bills still in motion. The lead priority remained HB 468 , which is the flagship Louisiana REALTORS® package bill on residential wholesaling. After the House rejected Senate amendments 91-0 on May 20, the bill moved into conference committee rather than dying. House conferees were named as Rep. Troy Hebert, Rep. Phillip Deshotel, and Rep. Jacob Landry, while Senate conferees were named as Sen. Miller, Sen. Allain, and Sen. Connick. The conference committee report was received by both chambers on May 27, and the bill was then scheduled for final House action on May 29. This remains one of the most important bills of the session for the real estate industry because it creates a clearer regulatory framework for residential wholesaling, strengthens consumer protections, and gives the Louisiana Real Estate Commission enforcement authority over the practice. The session also produced a strong slate of enacted real estate, housing, and property-management wins. HB 1027 , the appraiser liability bill, was signed by the Governor as Act No. 187 on May 15 and becomes effective August 1, 2026. HB 292 , dealing with security deposits, was signed as Act No. 63 on May 11 and also becomes effective August 1, 2026. HB 297, expanding lease termination protections for stalking and cyberstalking victims, was signed as Act No. 64 on May 11. HB 300 , dealing with appraisal thresholds for bank-owned property, was signed as Act No. 149 on May 15. Taken together, these measures represent meaningful wins for appraisal certainty, leasing, property management, and transaction stability. Several additional REALTOR®-relevant measures cleared the Legislature and moved to the Governor’s desk by the close of Week 12. HB 1166 by Rep. Kim Carver, the vacant residential property disclosure bill, passed the Senate 38-0 on May 25 and was sent to the Governor on May 27. This is one of the most important real estate bills of the session because it closes an existing gap in Louisiana law for vacant residential properties and should help reduce late-stage surprises involving condition issues, access, utility status, and other material facts that can derail transactions. HB 1187 , dealing with Louisiana Citizens emergency assessments, was sent to the Governor on May 26 and remains an important insurance-affordability measure for homeowners across the state. HB 217 , the optional blight rehabilitation tax exemption bill, was sent to the Governor on May 21 and, together with HB 214 , strengthens the redevelopment toolkit for returning derelict property to commerce. On the constitutional amendment side, Louisiana REALTORS® also saw meaningful progress on broader property-tax and redevelopment issues. HB 214 , authorizing a property tax exemption for rehabilitated blighted or derelict properties, became Act No. 272 and was sent to the Secretary of State for placement on the ballot. SB 180, allowing the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran with a service-connected disability to transfer an expanded property tax exemption, became Act No. 39 and was likewise sent to the Secretary of State for ballot placement. These measures remain relevant to neighborhood revitalization, property-tax fairness, and broader housing stability across Louisiana. Insurance and mitigation policy continued to matter through the final days of session. HB 759 , relating to fortified roof endorsement offers, remained alive on the Senate floor subject to call and needed final Senate passage by the May 29 deadline to survive. That bill remained important because fortified roof policy sits directly at the intersection of mitigation, homeowner resilience, and insurance affordability. At the same time, slower-moving insurance measures such as HB 408 on non-renewal protections for homeowners who timely mitigate and HB 1210 on pre-suit claim review for residential property insurance did not advance this session, but both remain relevant to the longer-term insurance affordability discussion. Week 12 also highlighted the value of Louisiana REALTORS®’s defensive work. HB 617, the hidden-fees bill, stalled in Senate Commerce and effectively ran out of time. That was a meaningful defensive win, as the concern throughout was that broad fee-disclosure language could have unfairly placed liability on real estate professionals for charges they do not control, including fees set by lenders, title companies, insurers, government entities, and other third parties. HB 472 , the rent stabilization bill, remained dead after being involuntarily deferred, which is another meaningful win from a property-rights and housing-supply standpoint, though similar language always remains worth watching late in session. HB 750, dealing with automatic renewal contracts, remained alive on the Senate floor subject to call and continued to require defensive monitoring so that broad subscription language would not bleed into leases, property management agreements, association dues, or nonprofit and association activity. The broader civil justice and cost environment also remained part of the policy picture, even where bills stalled. HB 437 , dealing with expert witness fees, and HB 1089 , dealing with CARE Accounts, both passed the House but stalled in Senate Judiciary A. While they did not advance this session, they remain part of the larger conversation around litigation costs, insurance affordability, and the long-term cost structure affecting property owners, housing providers, and small businesses. The bottom line for the 2026 session is that it was a strong one for Louisiana REALTORS®. The association’s flagship wholesaling bill, HB 468 , cleared conference committee with the fixes we wanted and moved to final House action. Four major REALTOR®-relevant bills were already enacted into law: HB 1027, HB 292, HB 297, and HB 300 . Two property-tax constitutional amendments, HB 214 and SB 180 , are headed to the ballot. Three additional bills, HB 1166, HB 1187, and HB 217 , reached the Governor’s desk. On defense, rent stabilization was stopped, the hidden-fees bill stalled, and problematic consumer language in other measures was monitored closely through the final days of session. Louisiana REALTORS® remained engaged through the end on every issue affecting real estate transactions, mortgages and lending, insurance affordability, property management, private property rights, blight and redevelopment, property taxes, and housing supply across Louisiana.
By Louisiana REALTORS® May 27, 2026
From the Louisiana Department of Insurance: During a press conference today with Governor Jeff Landry, Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple announced that registration for the next round of the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP) will open at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1, and will include 3,000 grants. The registration period for this lottery will be open for three weeks, closing at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.  During the press conference, Gov. Landry signed HB 1187 by Rep. Paul Sawyer, which will allow Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to transfer $50 million in additional Katrina bond assessment funds to the LFHP. Combined with the $30 million in funding the program will receive through taxes and fees on insurance entities, the LFHP will receive a total of $80 million this year. “By lowering overall losses, we can reduce insurance and reinsurance costs, draw more insurers into the market, motivate existing companies to write additional policies and lower insurance premiums,” said Commissioner Temple. “That is exactly what the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program is designed to do.” The list of coastal parishes that are eligible to participate is expanding to include Acadia, Jefferson Davis and Lafayette parishes. Additionally, homeowners who live in the portions of Ascension, Calcasieu, Iberia, Livingston, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Vermilion parishes that were previously not included in the program will now be eligible to participate. A map showing the full list of eligible parishes is available on FortifyHomes.La.Gov . “Louisiana is the fastest growing state in the country for Fortified roofs, and that growth is not by accident—it is the result of strong support from Governor Landry and legislators like Chairman Talbot, Chairman Firment and Representative Sawyer, targeted program design, and a clear recognition that strengthening homes is one of the most effective ways to reduce insurance losses,” said Commissioner Temple. “At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs. It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.” To participate in the lottery, homeowners must register during the June registration period. Homeowners who registered for a previous round but were not selected must register again to participate. People who register on the last day of the registration period have the same chance of being selected as those who register on the first day, so there is no need to rush to register as soon as the period opens. When registering, homeowners will need to upload their homestead exemption, insurance policy declarations page that includes wind coverage, and flood insurance declarations page if the residence is in a flood zone. Homeowners who need assistance obtaining a copy of their homestead exemption should contact their parish tax assessor. Homeowners can contact their homeowners and flood insurance companies or agents for a copy of their policy declarations page. Homeowners are required to create a profile in the LFHP system before registering for the lottery and may do so by visiting the LFHP website and clicking the Login button. Homeowners who previously created a profile may use the same one for this and future rounds. Once the lottery registration period closes, the LFHP will randomly select 3,000 participants and send email notifications to registrants about whether they were selected to participate. These selection notices will be sent via email beginning on Monday, June 22. There are several program requirements that homeowners should be aware of before registering. Those interested in the program are encouraged to review eligibility information and frequently asked questions at FortifyHomes.La.Gov to determine whether their home meets the requirements for the program. If selected to participate in the grant program, homeowners will be financially responsible for having the home evaluated by a FORTIFIED-certified Evaluator as well as costs for the roof upgrade including permits, inspections and construction costs beyond the amount of the grant The LFHP provides grants of up to $10,000 for homeowners to upgrade their roofs to standards set by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. The program helps Louisiana homeowners strengthen their roofs to better withstand hurricane-force winds.
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