The Home Stretch of the 2019 Regular Legislative Session

Louisiana REALTORS • May 28, 2019

Written by Kim Callaway, Director of Legal and Governmental Affairs

The 2019 Regular Legislative Session must end on Thursday, June 6th so we are in the home stretch now.

Legislators are scurrying to move their bills through the legislative process and the true deal making is at a fever pitch.  House bills have made it to the Senate, but many have not been taken up on the Senate floor and vice versa.  We should start see this happen at lightning speed this week. 

The Senate came in on Memorial Day to report the state budget out of Finance Committee.  Negotiations about funding for early childhood education and mandated higher education costs went late into the night, but the bill eventually made it out of committee.  The entire Senate will likely take it up this week and send it back to the House with their changes.  It is unlikely that the House will accept the Senate’s budget changes and therefore they will probably send the budget to “conference committee” where negotiations will continue. 

A “conference committee” is made up of three members appointed by the House Speaker and three members appointed by the Senate President.  These committees are responsible for working out the differences between the House and Senate on a bill.  If an agreement can be made in the conference committee, a “conference committee report” is produced wherein the agreement is put forth for the House and Senate to vote on whether to accept.  If both houses accept the conference committee report, then the bill will go to the Governor for signature or veto.  If one house rejects the conference committee report, the bill will likely fail (but not always) and not make it to the Governor for signature or veto.  However, the Governor can exercise a line item veto of certain items in the state budget and capital outlay bills which he cannot do with other legislative instruments.

BUT HOW DOES THIS AFFECT YOU AS A REALTOR®?  

Senate Bill No. 218, Senator Barrow - DEFEATED

What:  This bill originally was filed to create a mechanism to address private property owners who operate group homes for members of the population who may be vulnerable.  The concept of the bill came about following the discovery of a group home in Baton Rouge where residents appeared to be severely neglected and showed signs of abuse.

However, the bill was amended in the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to be a bill that would have required a property owner to register “a residential dwelling from which the property owner receives payment from the occupants in return for occupying or using the property” with local government. 

The bill as amended in committee would have required each property owner to pay a registration fee of up to $500 (reduced by Senate Floor Amendment) to the local governing authority registering the property and if the owner failed to register the property then he or she would be assessed up to $150 per week (reduced by Senate Floor  Amendment) by the local governing entity. 

 In effect, this bill would have required local governments to establish rental registries.

Position:   Against with amendments

Status:   Senator Barrow stated that she will not bring the bill back up on the Senate floor and would continue to study the issue of group homes in the interim.

Why:   Louisiana REALTORS® opposed the amended bill for the following reasons:

·        Thousands of good landlords should not be punished for the actions of those who do not properly maintain their property or value their tenants.

·        A rental registry for all residential rental property would have been another layer of burdensome and unnecessary government overreach. 

·        This could have driven up rental rates resulting in fewer affordable housing units.

·        The fees proposed by this bill were excessive.

OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST IN THE SIXTH & SEVENTH WEEK

House Bill No. 299, Representative Carmody

What:  A continuing education vendor would be able to bypass the standard continuing education course approval process and instead go directly to the Executive Director of the Louisiana Real Estate Commission to request approval for the class to be offered for continuing education credit if the course is:

(1)    A live course offered once a year in any one location and in conjunction with a conference, meeting, forum, or similar event held or sponsored by a state or local real estate trade association, or any affiliated Institute, Society, or Council.

(2)   Offered to obtain certifications or designations awarded by the National Association of REALTORS® or its affiliated institutes, societies, and councils.

A state entity could also use this simplified process in seeking approval of any course it would like to offer to real estate licensees for continuing education approval.

Position:  For

Status:   As of 05/28/19, it has passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs; Will be heard on the Senate floor in next few days

Why:  The hope is that this fast track process will assist your state and local real estate associations in offering timely and interesting courses for you to attend to meet your continuing education requirements.

House Bill No. 340, Representative Paul Hollis

What:  This bill would allow an appraiser to perform an evaluation on property for a federally insured depository institution if federal law or rule permits them to do so.

Status:  Senate Amendments concurred in by House; to be sent to Governor upon signature of the House Speaker and Senate President

Position:  For

Why:  The proposed change would allow appraisers to perform services that they are currently prohibited from offering.

State law currently prohibits a licensed real estate appraiser from performing an evaluation on property for a federally insured depository institution.  This bill would change that and allow an appraiser to perform an evaluation for these institutions if federal law or rule permits them to do so.

Senate Bill No. 191, Senator Norby Chabert

What:   Proposes time limitations in which appraisers can be sued for their work.  With the Amendments adopted in the House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure, the limitation would not apply to any action filed prior to January 1, 2020 and the change would not be effective until January 1, 2020.

Status:   Pending Senate concurrence in House Amendments

Position:   For

Why:   Louisiana REALTORS® is in favor of this bill because its passage would allow for appraisers to have some certainty that they will not be sued for their work after a certain period of time.

Currently there is no time limit on when an appraiser can be sued for issues arising from an appraisal he conducts. 

House Bill No.  317, Representative Howard

What:  Authorizes the creation of a Louisiana REALTORS® special prestige license plate

The bill would allow a special prestige license plate to be made available for members of Louisiana REALTORS®.  All members could purchase the plate for their vehicle from the office of motor vehicles upon their registration fee, an additional $10 annual fee that would benefit the Louisiana REALTORS® Relief Fund, and a $3.50 production fee.  However, it will likely be a few years before the plate would be available as the office of motor vehicles is undergoing a complete renovation of their motor vehicle registration system.

Status:   Pending House concurrence in technical Senate Amendments

Position :  For

Why :  Louisiana REALTORS® asked that this bill be filed so you can show your REALTOR® pride while also helping the Louisiana REALTORS® Relief Fund.

House Bill No. 372, “Omnibus Premium Reduction Act”, Representative Kirk Talbot

What:  House Bill No. 372 would have changed laws that govern many aspects of personal injury lawsuits in the hopes that the changes would have led to lower auto insurance rates for Louisiana individuals, families and businesses.

Status:   Senate Judiciary A Committee

In a recent survey of members of Louisiana REALTORS®, you told us that keeping up with technology was your biggest operational concern, but the top second and third concerns were the potential for litigation and insurance costs. If this bill would have become law, the hope was that your potential for litigation would be reduced and your insurance costs would have gone down. 

NEW DEVELOPMENT

Senate Bill No. 212, Senator Conrad Appel

What:   The bill originally would have required insurers to report certain commercial vehicle information.  However, amendments were placed on the bill in the House Insurance Committee that gutted the original bill and inserted Rep. Kirk Talbot’s Omnibus Premium Reduction Act, House Bill No. 372, described above.

Status :  Pending on House floor

Assuming Senate Bill No. 212 passes the House with the committee amendments, it would then return to the Senate for concurrence of House amendments. This means it does not go through any committee, but straight to the Senate floor to either be concurred in or rejected.  If the amendments are rejected, the bill would go to a conference committee made up of three House members and three Senate members to work out language, which would again be voted on in both chambers.

Louisiana Residents Encouraged to Use New LDI Tools to Prepare for Hurricane Season

By Louisiana REALTORS® • June 9, 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.
Educating prospective homebuyers on the true cost of owning a home

How to Talk to Clients About the True Costs of Homeownership in Louisiana

By Louisiana REALTORS® • June 9, 2026
Learn how real estate agents can educate buyers about Louisiana homeownership costs, including taxes, insurance, HOA fees, and maintenance.

2026 Legislative Session Scoop - Session Wrap-up

By Louisiana REALTORS® • June 5, 2026
The 2026 Regular Legislative Session has officially adjourned, and Louisiana REALTORS® closes the session with a strong record of legislative wins, defensive victories and meaningful progress on issues that directly impact property owners, homebuyers, housing providers and real estate professionals across Louisiana. This session touched nearly every major pressure point in the real estate market: insurance affordability, transaction transparency, appraisal certainty, leasing law, property taxes, blight redevelopment, litigation costs, consumer protection and private property rights. Louisiana REALTORS® successfully advanced several major policy priorities this session, including residential wholesaling reform, vacant residential land disclosure, appraisal certainty, security deposit reform, insurance mitigation funding and redevelopment tools for blighted property. At the same time, the association helped stop or reshape proposals that would have harmed housing supply, increased practitioners' liability, or created uncertainty for property owners and housing providers. Major Wins for You and Real Estate Residential Wholesaling Reform The signature victory of the session was HB 468 by Rep. Troy Hebert , Louisiana REALTORS®’ residential wholesaling reform bill. For years, residential wholesaling operated in a gray area of Louisiana law. HB 468 creates a clear statutory framework for residential wholesaling, strengthens consumer protection, increases transparency, and gives the Louisiana Real Estate Commission meaningful enforcement authority. The bill’s conference report passed unanimously in both chambers, with votes of 94-0 in the House and 35-0 in the Senate. This is a major structural reform for Louisiana real estate law. This bill will be state law effective August 1, 2026. Please note that the law does not affect any wholesale contracts between now and the effective date. Vacant Residential Land Disclosure HB 1166, by Rep. Kim Carver, passed the Legislature and has been sent to the Governor for his signature. The bill addresses disclosure gaps in vacant residential land transactions where buyers may discover late-stage issues involving access, utilities, drainage, flood risk, prior use or other material facts. HB 1166 creates a clearer process for buyers, sellers and real estate practitioners, and should help reduce failed transactions, disputes and closing-table surprises. As new industry forms and disclosures are developed, Louisiana REALTORS® will monitor the process closely and work to ensure the final requirements are practical, clear and consistent with sound industry practice. The Louisiana Real Estate Commission will complete the forms and disclosure process, with final implementation expected to be legally required for agents beginning January 1, 2027. Appraisal Liability Protections Louisiana REALTORS® secured two important appraisal-related wins. HB 1027 also by Rep. Troy Hebert , signed as Act No. 187 , clarifies that appraisers should not be held liable for compliance with obligations that belong to other parties in the transaction. HB 300 by Rep. Neil Riser , signed as Act No. 149 , addresses appraisal thresholds for bank-owned property. Together, these measures support greater transaction certainty and fairness in the appraisal process. The pair of these measures will take effect as law on August 1, 2026. Housing & Market Stability Security Deposit Reform HB 292, by Rep. Delisha Boyd and signed by Governor Landry as Act No. 63 , creates a more workable process for addressing damage discovered at the end of a lease and provides greater flexibility through written agreements regarding security deposit timelines. The measure offers practical clarity for housing providers, tenants and property managers when property damage is identified after move-out, allowing additional time to assess damage, obtain repair estimates and document costs before final security deposit accounting is completed. By creating a clearer statutory framework, the law helps reduce disputes and ensures that both landlords and tenants have a better understanding of their rights and responsibilities. Property managers can mark August 1, 2026, on their calendars, as that is the effective date for this legislation. Protections for Victims & Landlords HB 297, by Rep. Mandie Landry and signed by Governor Landry as Act No. 64 , expands Louisiana's early lease-termination protections to include victims of stalking and cyberstalking. The law recognizes that personal safety may require a tenant to leave a residence before the end of a lease term. To exercise these protections, a tenant must provide documentation from a qualified third party or other authorized evidence demonstrating that they are a victim of stalking or cyberstalking and that continued occupancy would present a safety concern. The measure also clarifies and expands who may serve as a qualified third party for purposes of supporting a tenant's request. These changes will take effect into law on August 1, 2026. Insurance Affordability and Mitigation Insurance affordability remained one of the most significant issues facing Louisiana homeowners and the real estate market. HB 1187 by Rep. Paul Sawyer , signed by Governor Landry as Act No. 416 , transfers an additional $50 million in Katrina bond assessment funds to the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Combined with other insurance-related funding, the program reaches approximately $80 million for the year. The Fortify Homes Program remains one of Louisiana’s most direct tools for reducing property risk, strengthening homes, improving market stability, and placing downward pressure on insurance costs over time. Several additional insurance measures did not reach final passage, including legislation on fortified roof endorsements, nonrenewal protections for homeowners who mitigate risk, and a pre-suit review process for residential property insurance disputes. These remain important long-term priorities. This became law and took effect upon the Governor’s signature. Blight, Redevelopment, and Property Taxes Louisiana REALTORS® supported policies this session aimed at returning neglected property to productive use and strengthening property-tax fairness. HB 214 by Rep. Chance Henry , now Act No. 272 with Governor Landry’s signature, will appear on the ballot as a constitutional amendment authorizing an optional property tax exemption for rehabilitated blighted or derelict property. HB 217, also by Rep. Chance Henry , is the enabling legislation for HB 214 and has received the Governor’s signature, becoming Act No. 422. Together, these measures would give local governments another tool to encourage private investment, neighborhood revitalization, and redevelopment. SB 180 , now Act No. 39 , will also appear on the ballot. The measure allows the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran with a service-connected disability to transfer an expanded property tax exemption. This is both a property-tax fairness measure and a homeownership stability measure for Louisiana veterans’ families. If passed in the fall election, the measures would take effect on January 1, 2027, as well as SB 180. Defensive Victories Some of the most important wins in this session came from stopping harmful legislation before it became law. Rent Stabilization Stopped Twice HB 472 by Rep. Alonzo Knox , the rent price control bill, was stopped after being involuntarily deferred. Louisiana REALTORS® opposed the bill and provided testimony in committee because rent-control policies can discourage investment, reduce housing supply, create uncertainty for housing providers and ultimately worsen affordability challenges. Knox brought the bill to the House Committee on Municipal, Local and Parochial Affairs twice due to the opposing testimony of our organization and opposition from the Home Builders Association and the Louisiana Apartment Association. Hidden Fees Bill Reshaped Yet Still Thwarted HB 617 by Rep. Mandie Landry , the hidden fees bill, raised concerns because it could have imposed liability on real estate professionals for fees they do not control, including those set by lenders, title companies, insurers, government entities and other third parties. Louisiana REALTORS® successfully negotiated a House-side amendment exempting real estate transactions from the bill’s scope. The bill later died in the Senate Commerce Committee. It is worth noting that the author agreed to include us in an amendment by Rep. Troy Hebert from the House floor, exempting real estate transactions. Automatic Renewal Bill Monitored HB 750, by Rep. Vincent Cox, addressing automatic renewal provisions, was closely monitored by Louisiana REALTORS® to ensure the legislation did not unintentionally apply to residential or commercial leases, property management agreements, association operations, nonprofit activities or standard real estate practices. Those concerns were successfully addressed through a Louisiana REALTORS® amendment offered by Senator Pressly during Senate consideration. When the bill returned to the House, Rep. Cox accepted the amendment and supported concurrence, preserving the bill's consumer protection goals while ensuring Louisiana's real estate industry, housing providers, associations and nonprofits were not subjected to unintended regulatory burdens . Missed Opportunities Two broader legal reform measures passed the House but stalled in the Senate Judiciary A Committee. HB 437, by Rep. Michael Melerine, addressing expert witness fees, and HB 1089, by Rep. Dennis Bamburg, establishing CARE Accounts, both reflected broader efforts to reduce litigation costs, improve Louisiana’s legal climate, and address cost drivers affecting insurance affordability and business competitiveness. Their failure to reach final passage was a missed opportunity, but the issues remain central to Louisiana’s long-term affordability conversation. Louisiana REALTORS® will continue to monitor these proposals and hope to see similar reforms return next session with a different outcome. What Comes Next The end of the session does not end the work. Louisiana REALTORS® will now turn to implementation, member education, ballot engagement and preparation for the next legislative cycle by directly engaging you, the driving force behind all of our efforts. The issues that shaped this session — housing affordability, insurance availability, redevelopment, legal costs, and private property rights — are not going away. Neither are we. Louisiana REALTORS® remain committed to serving as a consistent, credible and effective voice for property owners, homebuyers, housing providers and real estate professionals across Louisiana. Thank You As the Legislature adjourns, Louisiana REALTORS® expresses sincere appreciation to the leadership, members, public officials and advocacy partners who helped make this a productive and successful session for the real estate industry and property owners across Louisiana. We are especially grateful to Louisiana REALTORS® President Ginger Maulden, President-Elect David Favret, Treasurer Misty Ingersoll, Legislative Committee Director Keary Coffin, Outside General Counsel Eric Landry, LARPAC Chairwoman Marsha McGraw-Barbera, the Louisiana Real Estate Commission Commissioners and Executive Team, and the members of the Louisiana REALTORS® Legislative Committee for their leadership, guidance, resources and engagement throughout the session. We also extend a special thank you to those who attended this session’s REALTOR® Day and helped strengthen our presence at the Capitol. Your participation amplified our ability to advocate with one united voice when it mattered most. We further extend our appreciation to the legislators and partners who worked alongside us this session, including Rep. Troy Hebert, Rep. Kim Carver, House Commerce Chairman Daryl Deshotel, Rep. Delisha Boyd, Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, Rep. John Wyble, Sen. Beth Mizell, Sen. Greg Miller, Speaker Phillip DeVillier, Senate President Cameron Henry and Governor Jeff Landry for their leadership, accessibility and commitment to addressing issues impacting housing, property rights, insurance affordability, redevelopment and Louisiana’s economic future. Strong policy outcomes are only possible through collaboration, professionalism and sustained engagement. Louisiana REALTORS® remains grateful for the relationships and partnerships that helped move meaningful legislation across the finish line this year. Please view the session wrap-up tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
Show More