Assistance Animals (SB 286) & Rental Registries (SB 378) - Legislation Filed on Behalf of Louisiana REALTORS
Amy P. Fennel • March 10, 2020
Louisiana REALTORS® has identified two issues that impact the real estate industry for consideration during the 2020 regular session. The legislation was filed on behalf of LR to address two issues. LR’s lobbying team will seek to pass these two measures and will provide regular status updates and information related to each of these bills as they move through the legislative process.
REALTORS® are encouraged to follow these issues closely and may be asked to talk with their local legislators about the impact to the industry or actively engage and respond to a Call for Action.
Assistance Animals (SB 286 by Senator J. Rogers Pope)
The first bill has to do with assistance animals. Assistance animals can be incredibly helpful to people with disabilities. But in recent years there has been a significant uptick in people abusing this part of the Fair Housing Act by trying to pass their pet off as an assistance animal. SB286 by Senator J. Rogers Pope
would impose fines when people are convicted of submitting false documentation about the need for an assistance animal when filling out rental applications. The need for this type of proactive legislation has increased with the rise of online services that provide documentation for purchase to people to show proof for the need for assistance animals.
Rental Registries (SB 378 by Senator Heather Cloud)
The second bill has to do with local governments considering and implementing rental registries and inspections for properties being used for long term residential rental property. This does not apply to short term rentals, but rather properties that have tenants.SB378 by Senator Heather Cloud would prohibit local governments from making these requirements of the property owner. While Louisiana REALTORS® fully supports safe and decent housing for everyone, these requirements would add an additional layer of bureaucracy and red tape and result in higher rent for consumers and possibly even more vacant properties.
More Legislative Issues
From the Louisiana Department of Insurance: Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple joined Governor Jeff Landry and Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Kirk Talbot today to announce that Louisiana is investing an additional $20 million in Fortified homes, bringing the total amount invested in state Fortified projects this year to $100 million. Governor Landry announced that $20 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be transferred to the Louisiana Office of Community Development Restore Resilient Opportunities for Overhead Fortification (Restore ROOF) program to strengthen residential structures and reduce long-term disaster risk. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill that allows $50 million in additional Katrina and Rita bond money from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to be added to the Department of Insurance’s Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP). Also beginning this year, LFHP is projected to receive approximately $30 million annually from taxes and fees the Louisiana Department of Insurance collects from the insurance industry. “Building stronger homes is a vital part of making homeowners insurance affordable in Louisiana,” said Commissioner Temple. “I appreciate Governor Landry’s leadership and support as we work with legislators like Chairman Talbot to make Louisiana a national leader in the adoption of Fortified roofs.” The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) has finalized its promulgation of Regulation 136—Fortify Homes Premium Discounts. The purpose of Regulation 136 is to implement the statutory provisions set forth in La. R.S. 22:1483, et seq. , which require that all Louisiana property and casualty insurers provide premium discounts or insurance rate reductions for homes constructed or upgraded in accordance with the fortified standards created by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. View Regulation 136 here .
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