2018 Legislative Session Recap
LOUISIANA REALTORS • May 29, 2018
LOUISIANA REALTORS® RECAP OF THE 2018 REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Louisiana REALTORS® is happy to report that the real estate industry came out of the 2018 Regular Legislative Session unscathed once again. In large part, the bills that Louisiana REALTORS® supported are awaiting action on the part of the governor and bills that Louisiana REALTORS® opposed were either heavily amended to remove our opposition or stalled in the legislative process.
Below is a summary of key bills tracked by Louisiana REALTORS® and where they stand in the process at of the time of this post. For further information on these or any other pieces of legislation, please contact Kim Callaway, kim@larealtors.org, (225) 923-2210.
HB NO. 383/ VOLUNTARILY DEFERRED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
This bill was Louisiana REALTORS® first-time home buyer rebate proposition.
· While the bill did not reach the finish line due to budget constraints, it did allow Louisiana REALTORS® to promote the benefits of homeownership and highlight the struggles first-time home buyers face in today’s environment.
· These discussions with legislators will better position Louisiana REALTORS® with future legislation filed to help first-time home buyers pursue the American dream of home ownership.
HB NO. 372/SENT TO THE GOVERNOR
House Bill No. 372 would require administrative rules sought to be promulgated by boards and commissions, including but not limited to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC), to undergo additional review to ensure that members who sit on occupational licensing will avoid liability under federal antitrust laws.
· At the request of the author, Louisiana REALTORS® was at the table at every meeting where associations representatives negotiated committee amendments for the bill.
· Louisiana REALTORS® worked tirelessly with representatives of a coalition of 50+ national and state associations to ensure that amendments were adopted to put the bill in a posture that Louisiana REALTORS® and most associations accepted.
HB NO. 617/SENT TO THE GOVERNOR
Representative Hilferty filed this bill on behalf of Louisiana REALTORS® to clarify some matters following the Valobra v. Nelson case pertaining to the residential property disclosure form.
· The bill clarifies that the residential property disclosure form is required to be executed for all subsequent transfers following the property being transferred through a succession.
· The bill further clarifies that the seller must disclose whether there was a meth lab on the property to be sold that is still on the list of contaminated properties maintained by the Department of Environmental Quality.
HB NO. 659/INVOLUNTARILY DEFERRED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
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 had amendments adopted to address those concerns.
· However, the bill still failed to pass due to opposition from the towing industry.
Louisiana REALTORS® is proud that we were able to convince the author and the committee of the need to preserve property rights and that the bill was changed to address our concerns.
HB NO. 748/SENT TO THE GOVERNOR
This bill would have potentially given the state authority over certifications and designations that REALTORS® are awarded by the National Association of REALTORS® and certifications issued by private organizations in other professions and occupations.
· The author stated that this was not her intent and had amendments adopted to remove this portion of the bill.
· However, the bill also sought to establish questionable policy regarding the standards by which the state could legitimately regulate any occupation or profession.
· Due to the concerns of Louisiana REALTORS® and almost 50 other organizations of professions and occupations, the bill was largely amended in the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs to only require a review of all agencies that issue professional and occupational licenses and a timeline for that review.
SB NO. 462/VETOED
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 have instead allowed municipalities and parishes to offer VOLUNTARY economic incentive policies to promote the development of affordable housing.
Governor Edwards vetoed this bill stating that it may jeopardize federal funding available to local governments for affordable housing programs. However, in his veto message Governor Edwards stated that he is not opposed to signing similar legislation next year if local governments do not actively pursue inclusionary zoning strategies within the next year.
SB NO. 466/ACT NO. 416
As filed, this legislation proposed a law change on security deposits for residential leases and potentially placed many additional burdens on residential lessors. Therefore Louisiana REALTORS® was initially opposed to the bill.
· However, after amendments were put on the bill it now only provides that a tenant would have the right to recover the amount of the portion of any security deposit wrongfully withheld and $300 or twice any portion of the security deposit wrongfully withheld, whichever is greater.
· Prior law allowed the tenant to recover actual damages or $200, whichever was greater.
· These amendments significantly altered the bill and removed not only Louisiana REALTORS® opposition but also the opposition of the Apartment Association of Louisiana.
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.
Louisiana REALTORS® spent week six of the Legislative Session actively engaged on several bills at the Capitol impacting core industry priorities, including private property rights, affordability, redevelopment and transaction-related regulations. Most of the meaningful activity remained in the House, where lawmakers continued advancing measures with direct implications for the real estate market. HB 284 by Rep. John Wyble , which would authorize certain local governments to expropriate blighted property by declaration-of-taking, failed on final passage in the House Tuesday by a 48-47 vote, and remains subject to reconsideration. Meanwhile, HB 472 by Rep. Alonzo Knox , which would authorize rent stabilization at the local level, was voluntarily deferred in committee following testimony from Louisiana REALTORS® and our partners at the Louisiana Apartment Association effectively ending its path this session. This marks a significant win, as rent control policies do not address housing supply challenges and instead risk further market distortion. In House Commerce, several key bills moved forward. HB 1027 by Rep. Troy Hebert , which clarifies that appraisers are not liable for a seller’s failure to meet smoke and carbon monoxide detector requirements, passed committee unanimously and is now slated for a House floor vote. This common-sense measure protects appraisers and helps preserve efficiency in the transaction process. HB 673 by Rep. Tammy Phelps , which would have imposed new security camera mandates on certain blighted properties, was also voluntarily deferred following industry opposition. Additionally, HB 426 by Rep. Phelps , which addresses criminal blighting and expands enforcement liability, remains under consideration. Louisiana REALTORS® is monitoring this bill closely to ensure efforts to address blight do not unintentionally discourage investment or redevelopment. We continue to track broader market integrity and redevelopment efforts. HB 468 by Rep. Hebert , addressing residential wholesaling, has now moved to the Senate after unanimous House passage. HB 217 by Rep. Chance Henry , which provides tax incentives for the rehabilitation of blighted property, also remains active in the Senate and represents a constructive approach to redevelopment. Looking ahead, the House Commerce Committee will consider HB 1166 by Rep. Kim Carver next week, which addresses disclosure requirements for vacant residential property. Louisiana REALTORS® supports clear, consistent consumer disclosures and have been working closely with the author and the Louisiana Real Estate Commission to ensure the bill is structured to promote transparency while maintaining practical standards and avoiding unintended liability for real estate professionals. Overall, the House carried the bulk of real estate activity this week, while the Senate saw limited movement on major REALTOR® priorities. As the session continues, Louisiana REALTORS® remains focused on protecting private property rights, opposing harmful market interventions, supporting responsible redevelopment and advancing policies that strengthen real estate transactions for both consumers and our members. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
