Session Scoop: May 24, 2024

Louisiana REALTORS® • May 24, 2024

Bill Tracking Report as of 5/24/2024

Week 11 Report


The 2024 Regular Legislative Session is in the final stretch before adjourning sine die and things are looking good for real estate practitioners and property owners, buyers, and sellers. 

 

A few highlights from Week 11 include:   

  • Senate Bill No. 506 to reign in the practice of using liens or mortgages to secure rights under real estate service agreements is on the way to Governor Landry’s desk for signature.
  • House Bill No. 366 clarifying definitions in the Louisiana Real Estate Law and establishing a definition and requirements for buyer agreements was unanimously passed by the Senate and is on the way to the House for concurrence.
  • Senate Bill No. 113 was amended to eliminate the requirement that Louisiana Citizens' rates be at least 10% higher than private insurance companies in certain parishes and reduce the requirement to 5% in other parishes. If enacted as amended, these changes would be in place until December 31, 2027.


  • Property Insurance

    SB No.  113 by Senator Kirk Talbot

    Status: Pending House final passage

    Position: Support


    Among other things, this bill would adjust the requirement that Louisiana Citizens' rates must be at least 10% higher than private insurance companies.


    As amended, it would do the following: 

    1. Eliminate this requirement for properties within the parishes of Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jefferson, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Terrebonne, and Vermilion until December 31, 2027.
    2. Reduce this requirement to 5% for all other parishes until December 31, 2027.

    HB No. 428 by Representative Delisha Boyd

    Status: Sent to the Governor

    Position: Support


    This bill would allow a Louisiana Citizens’ policyholder, through written request, to exclude coverage of personal or corporeal movable property.  If granted, Citizens would calculate an appropriate reduction in the premium.

  • Homeowner Associations

    HB No. 440 by Representative Stephanie Berault

    Status: Pending Senate final passage

    Position: Monitor


    House Bill No. 440 as it stands now would require the residential property disclosure statement to inform a purchaser that all association documents shall be provided to the purchaser no later than at the time of closing.


    Upon request of Louisiana REALTORS® and the Louisiana Land Title Association, the Senate Judiciary Committee A amended the bill to instead permit the purchaser to request certain documents from an association governing the property and recorded documents governing the property from the person providing title closing or title settlement services upon the seller’s acceptance of an offer and at the expense of the purchaser.


    However, upon further discussions with Representative Berault, she has decided to not proceed with the bill at this time and to work with the industry in the interim to improve disclosures about homeowner associations and building restrictions for buyers of both new and existing residential properties.


    SB No. 23 by Senator Greg Miller

    Status: Sent to Governor

    Position: Monitor


    Senate Bill No. 23 is a comprehensive rewrite of Louisiana laws governing homeowner associations, which the bill renames “planned communities”.  


    Generally, the new law would be effective as of January 1, 2025, for any new planned communities filed for registry on or after that date, and on January 1, 2026, for planned communities filed for registry on or before December 31, 2024.


    Louisiana REALTORS® will provide in-depth information about this bill in the coming months should it become law.

  • Agricultural Land

    HB No. 238 by Representative Michael Echols

    Status: Signed by the President

    Position: Monitor


    House Bill No. 238 would restrict any foreign adversary or prohibited foreign actor from directly or indirectly, owning, acquiring, leasing, or otherwise obtaining any interest, in agricultural land should it become law.


    The bill defines “agricultural land”, “foreign adversary”, and “prohibited foreign actor” and provides an exception from the definition of “foreign adversary” for a person who is a legal permanent resident with lawful presence in the United States.


    The bill specifies that the failure to identify a buyer, etc. as a foreign adversary or prohibited foreign actor does not create liability for real estate brokers or agents, or any other person involved in the consummation of a real estate transaction.

  • Buyer Agreements

    HB No. 366 by Representative Paula Davis

    Status: Passed the Senate; amendments waiting to be concurred in or rejected by the House 

    Position: Support

    Effective Date for Buyer Agreements:  Monday, August 19, 2024

    Note: There has been no change in the substance of the bill or amendments since the May 17, 2024, Session Scoop.


    House Bill No. 366 was amended to require all real estate licensees to execute buyer agreements.  


    If enacted, the buyer agreement would be required:

    1. To include the services the broker would provide the buyer.
    2. To include the amount of compensation due to the broker or how the amount would be calculated.
    3. To be executed when a buyer purchases or seeks to purchase a home.

    The requirement for a buyer agreement would NOT apply when a buyer purchases or seeks to purchase commercial property, vacant property, industrial property, retail property, etc.


    Should the proposal become law, it is important to note two things:

    1. Buyer agreements in compliance with NAR buyer agreement requirements would always comply with the proposed state law requirements for a buyer agreement.
    2. Buyer agreements only in compliance with the proposed state law would NEVER meet all the NAR buyer agreement requirements.  

  • Real Estate Service Agreements Secured by Liens or Mortgages Prohibition

    SB No. 506 by Senator Rick Edmonds 

    Status: Signed by the Speaker

    Position: Support

    Note: There has been no change in the substance of the bill or amendments since the May 17, 2024, Session Scoop.


    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.

  • Public Records Bills

    SB No. 502 by Senator Blake Miquez

    Status: Pending House and Governmental Affairs Committee

    Position: Monitor


    This bill was heavily amended on the Senate floor to provide that any record of the office of the governor about the schedule of the governor, his spouse, or his child that contains security details that if made public may impair the safety of the governor or the governor's spouse or child may be held confidential.


    Therefore, as amended, the bill would not impact any records pertaining to real estate transactions.

  • Property Management

    HB No. 407 by Representative Stagni

    Status: Passed the Senate; amendments waiting to be concurred in or rejected by the House

    Position: Support

    Note: There has been no change in the substance of the bill or amendments since the May 17, 2024, Session Scoop.


    The bill would create “The Louisiana Support and Service Animal Integrity Act”.

      

    If enacted, it would prohibit healthcare providers from producing documentation relating to an individual's need for a support animal unless they satisfy certain requirements.


     It would also prohibit the misrepresentations of service dogs and require written notices for individuals and businesses that sell support animals. 


    The part of the bill that would have limited liability for owners and lessors for damages caused by a service dog or support animal was removed, however.


    HB No. 913 by Representative Larry Selders

    Status: Passed the Senate; amendments waiting to be concurred in or rejected by the House

    Position: Monitor

    Note: There has been no change in the substance of the bill or amendments since the May 17, 2024, Session Scoop.


    House Bill No. 913 would require housing providers to provide copies of tenant’s original utility bills within thirty days of receipt of request only if the housing provider utilizes third-party billing services to manage utility billing for a residential unit with an individual meter.  The request and response may be made by electronic means.


    If a housing provider does not comply, the tenant or the Louisiana Attorney General may bring suit for penalties and/or seek an injunction.


    *Information current as of Friday, May 24, 2024.

Bill Tracking Report by Numerical Order (as of 5/24/24) Bill Tracking Report by Position (as of 5/24/24)

2026 Legislative Session Scoop - Week 5 Recap

By Louisiana REALTORS® • April 10, 2026
This week at the Capitol, Louisiana REALTORS® saw meaningful movement on several issues that directly impact the real estate industry. Most notably, HB 468 by Representative Troy Hebert, a key part of our legislative agenda, passed the House unanimously, 96–0, and now heads to the Senate. The bill creates a clear framework for regulating residential real estate wholesaling, strengthens disclosure requirements and gives the Louisiana Real Estate Commission enforcement authority, including penalties for violations. That vote margin speaks for itself and reflects strong bipartisan support for greater transparency and accountability in this market segment. We are also closely engaged on legislation tied to blight, redevelopment and property rights. HB 217 by Representative Chance Henry, which authorizes an optional property tax exemption for blighted or derelict properties that have been rehabilitated, and ties that exemption to local redevelopment plans, passed the House floor by an 84–12 vote. It is now moving through the Senate process. Louisiana REALTORS® supports HB 217 because it creates another tool to encourage redevelopment, return distressed property to productive use and strengthen communities when implemented responsibly. Louisiana REALTORS® also support Representative John Wyble’s HB 284 , which would authorize certain parishes and municipalities to address blighted property through a declaration-of-taking process in limited jurisdictions. HB 284 is currently subject to a call on House final passage. While any proposal involving expropriation deserves careful attention, we support the goal of giving communities practical tools to deal with truly blighted and abandoned property that drags down surrounding neighborhoods, depresses property values and slows local recovery. Insurance remains one of the biggest issues of the session and continues to affect housing affordability and market stability across Louisiana. Lawmakers are working on proposals to reduce premiums, increase competition and improve the overall insurance climate. The Fortified Roof Program continues to generate significant discussion and, candidly, a fair amount of noise, but Louisiana REALTORS® and our coalition partners are actively monitoring all avenues to ensure the final result is practical and beneficial for homeowners, and the broader real estate market. These conversations remain closely tied to tort reform, which continues to be a major part of the effort to address insurance costs and availability. We are also monitoring HB 673 by Representative Phelps , which would authorize the state fire marshal to require owners or lessees of abandoned or blighted structures to install and maintain exterior security cameras and retain footage for at least 30 days. Louisiana REALTORS® opposes this bill because it creates a costly new mandate on property owners without addressing the root causes of blight, and it could create additional liability and compliance burdens for property owners, property managers and others involved in distressed property. At this time, the bill remains pending in the House Commerce Committee and is slated to be heard next week. We also remain actively engaged on several other priorities within our legislative agenda including ongoing work on vacant property disclosure and efforts to provide greater clarity on appraiser liability related to carbon monoxide detector requirements. In particular, we are working closely with the Louisiana Real Estate Commission and Representative Carver to position HB 1166 in the strongest and most workable posture possible, with a clear focus on protecting Louisiana real estate agents and their clients from unnecessary liability, reducing confusion in the transaction process, and ensuring that any new disclosure requirements are practical, fair and clearly defined. Our goal is to ensure the final product supports consumer transparency without imposing undue burdens on our members and not exposing agents across Louisiana to unintended risk. As the session continues, Louisiana REALTORS® will remain focused on protecting consumers, supporting responsible redevelopment, defending private property rights and advancing sound policy that strengthens the real estate market for our members and the clients they serve. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.

2026 Legislative Session Scoop - Week 4 Recap

By Louisiana REALTORS® • April 3, 2026
This week, the Legislature remained in high gear, and several items relevant to Louisiana’s real estate market moved into focus. The biggest headline for our industry this week was HB 468 by Rep. Troy Hebert , our wholesaling/consumer-protection bill, was slated to be heard on the House floor, however was bumped due to floor congestion and out-of-order bills. It is now expected to be reset for next Tuesday. This bill remains one of the clearest “market integrity” efforts on the board with clearer rules for non-traditional transactions, stronger transparency and better consumer protections. We also continued substantive policy work behind the scenes. We are actively engaging with Rep. Carver on a vacant land disclosure bill he has authored, and we appreciate that he is welcoming our input and guidance as the language is refined. Our goal is straightforward: ensure any vacant land disclosure framework is practical, reduces confusion and avoids unintentionally shifting liability or enforcement burdens onto real estate professionals. In addition, we were pleased to deepen our relationships at the Capitol this week. We had the privilege of hosting a lunch for the Governor’s Office, enjoyed meeting Governor Landry’s team, and look forward to working with them in a constructive, solutions-oriented manner as the session continues. Finally, Rep. Hebert also filed an additional measure that aligns with our legislative agenda and speaks directly to transaction risk management: HB 1027 , which would limit liability for licensed real estate appraisers in situations involving smoke and carbon monoxide detector compliance. The current law already provides that real estate agents are not liable for a seller’s failure to comply with Louisiana’s detector requirements in one- or two-family dwellings. HB 1027 would extend that same liability protection to licensed appraisers by amending R.S. 40:1581(F). This is a clean, common-sense clarification that helps prevent appraisers from being pulled into compliance disputes that properly belong with the seller’s statutory obligations. Next week, committees are scheduled to hear multiple bills relevant to real estate, including measures involving construction and roofing standards (often tied to insurance and mitigation), property rights/expropriation, and property tax and adjudicated property issues that can influence housing supply and neighborhood reinvestment. We will stay closely engaged and will flag any bills or amendments that materially affect transactions, homeownership costs or private property rights. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.

Cookbook for the REALTORS® Relief Foundation!

By Louisiana REALTORS® • April 2, 2026
Louisiana REALTORS® is compiling a cookbook of Louisiana flavor with a REALTOR® heart in support of the REALTORS® Relief Foundation . And we have two ways for you to get involved:  Join us in contributing your favorite recipe using this online form. If you want to include a picture with your recipe, send to info@larealtors.org and reference recipe title in email subject. Or share your creativity by designing the cover artwork for the cookbook. A small committee will review all entries and choose one to print on the cover. Stay tuned for more details on when you can grab your own copy of the cookbook! Cover artwork and recipes are due by April 17th.
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