2018 Legislative Session (Week 4)
LOUISIANA REALTORS • April 9, 2018
UPDATES FROM BILLS DISCUSSED IN WEEK 3
HOUSE BILL NO. 659, REPRESENTATIVE KENNY HAVARD, LIMITATIONS ON NON-CONSENSUAL TOWING
This bill would have put additional requirements on property owners who have vehicles towed off their lots for parking violations. Louisiana REALTORS® raised several concerns and the bill’s author was agreeable to preserving current law and property rights by amending the bill to address those concerns.
However, the bill was defeated after much opposition from the towing industry.
HOUSE BILL NO. 617, REPRESENTATIVE STEPHANIE HILFERTY, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY DISCLOSURE
Louisiana REALTORS® had this legislation filed to clarify existing law following the Valobra v. Nelson case and subsequent changes to the residential property form.
The bill passed the House with unanimously and now heads to the Senate for further consideration.
SENATE BILL NO. 462, SENATOR DANNY MARTINY – INCLUSIONARY ZONING
Currently, Louisiana allows municipalities and parishes to pass inclusionary zoning ordinances to promote the development of affordable housing. Inclusionary zoning requires housing developers to sell or rent a proportion of their units below market rate, regardless of the economics of a project or whether the developer receives just compensation. Senate Bill 462 would instead allow municipalities and parishes to offer VOLUNTARY economic incentive policies to promote the development of affordable housing.
Louisiana REALTORS® will be resending a call to action next week to members who have not responded to the call to action on this important bill.
ADDITIONAL BILLS
HOUSE BILL NO. 386, REPRESENTATIVE KATRINA JACKSON, CHANGES TO SECURITY DEPOSITS FOR RESIDENTIAL LEASES
This bill proposed a law change on security deposits for residential leases and potentially placed additional burdens on residential lessors. Louisiana REALTORS® was opposed to certain components of this bill. The bill was defeated in the House Commerce Committee after much debate. There is a similar Senate bill that we will continue to monitor.
HOUSE BILL NO. 653, REPRESENTATIVE SIMON, INCLUDES ELEVATORS AND ESCALATORS AS LIFE SAFETY EQUIPMENT
This bill would require property owners to register elevators and escalators in their commercial buildings with the State Fire Marshal and to allow the state fire marshal to inspect these devices.
REALTOR® members expressed concerns that there are currently parishes and municipalities that already inspect these devices and the proposed law would have property owners in these areas subject to two inspections. An amendment was placed on the bill to exempt parishes and municipalities that are already inspecting these devices therefore only requiring property owners in these parishes and municipalities to have their elevators and escalators inspected by one entity.
REGULATION OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
Several bills are going through the legislature to modify how boards and commissions operate. Some of these bills would have an impact on real estate licensees and LR will continue to work with the authors of these bills and will update members on changes or impacts as session progresses.
ACCESS THE BILL TRACKER
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Week seven of the 2026 Regular Session was one of the most active weeks yet for legislation affecting the real estate industry. Louisiana REALTORS® remained heavily engaged as lawmakers advanced bills dealing with property disclosures, appraiser liability, rent regulation, insurance, blight, redevelopment and other issues that directly affect real estate professionals, property owners and consumers across the state. One of the most important bills this week was HB 1166 by Rep. Kim Carver , which would require disclosures for vacant residential property. The bill was reported from House Commerce with amendments on a 14-0 vote and then amended on the House floor, ordered engrossed, and passed to third reading. Louisiana REALTORS® testified on the bill in committee and worked closely with the author to better posture the legislation. Amendments advanced by our team were accepted by the author, helping improve the bill while preserving a practical disclosure framework that increases transparency without creating unnecessary confusion in the transaction process. Another closely watched issue this week was consumer-fee disclosure legislation. HB 617 by Rep. Mandie Landry moved this week, advancing from House Commerce and then the House floor, while HB 580 , another hidden-fee disclosure bill touching real estate transactions, remains pending. Louisiana REALTORS® is opposed to these measures in their current form to the extent they apply to real estate professionals because they are not well-tailored to the realities of real estate transactions, where many costs are negotiated, variable or controlled by third parties. Louisiana REALTORS® testified in opposition to the bills we oppose and is actively working with the author to better posture the legislation and remove real estate professionals from its scope altogether. On HB 472 by Rep. Alonzo Knox , the rent stabilization bill, the author is expected to try to bring the measure back before the committee next week with amendments. Even so, Louisiana REALTORS® remain opposed to the bill on principle. Price gouging is already illegal under existing law, and government-imposed rent regulation is not the right answer to housing affordability challenges. Louisiana REALTORS® testified in opposition to the bill and continues to oppose the measure because policies like this risk discouraging investment, reducing housing supply, and creating further market distortions rather than solving the underlying problem. HB 468 by Rep. Troy Hebert , which regulates the wholesale of residential real property, remains pending in the Senate Commerce Committee and continues to be an important bill for the industry. Likewise, HB 1027 by Rep. Troy Hebert , dealing with appraiser liability, had a strong week, passing the House 90-0 and moving to the Senate. Both measures are significant because they promote greater clarity, consumer protection and confidence in the real estate marketplace. Blight and redevelopment issues also remained active. HB 284 by Rep. John Wyble , which would allow certain local governments to expropriate blighted property through a declaration-of-taking process, remains subject to call and continues to raise serious concerns about private property rights. By contrast, HB 214 and HB 217 by Rep. Chance Henry , which create tax incentives for the rehabilitation of blighted property, represent a more constructive redevelopment approach by encouraging reinvestment rather than expanding government taking authority. Insurance legislation also remained a major focus this week, with multiple bills heard that could affect homeownership costs, market stability and post-storm recovery. Measures dealing with Louisiana Citizens assessments, pre-suit insurance claim review, the Fortified Homes Program and insurance market transparency all carry real implications for affordability and transaction viability. In Louisiana, insurance remains one of the most important issues affecting the real estate market, and Louisiana REALTORS® continues to closely track that legislation. Taken together, week seven showed that Louisiana REALTORS® remains actively engaged where it matters most: supporting practical transaction standards, protecting private property rights, testifying for and against legislation when necessary, pushing back on unworkable regulation and rent-control-style policies, and advancing policies that strengthen housing opportunity and market stability across Louisiana. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
NAR is pleased to share the latest consumer guide helping buyers navigate shifting interest rates. The one-page guide covers how lenders set rates, the impact of small shifts on monthly payments and strategies to get the lowest rate possible. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow up to two weeks for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Navigating Interest Rate Shifts Financing a Renovation When You Buy Staging Your House for a Sale Spotting Deepfake Scams in Real Estate Are You Ready to Invest in Real Estate? Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their home buying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Be on the lookout for the next consumer guide, which looks at how solar installations may impact home sales transactions.
