Week One of Session & Interactive Bill Tracker
LOUISIANA REALTORS • March 12, 2020
Yesterday, the Louisiana REALTORS® Bill Review Team, made up of members from across the state, met and identified 107 bills that Louisiana REALTORS® will support, oppose, or monitor on behalf of its membership and consumers. This interactive Bill Tracking Report contains the position on each of these bills along with the status of each bill.
LEGISLATIVE BILL TRACKER
Any bill on the list can be accessed and viewed in its entirety by clicking on the number of the bill on the left of the page. A few of these bills that are likely to be of interest to you are highlighted and explained below. Should you have any questions, contact Kim Callaway, Director of Legal & Governmental Affairs.
REMOTE NOTARIZATION
HOUSE BILL NO. 122, REPRESENTATIVE GREGORY MILLERHOUSE
BILL NO. 274, REPRESENTATIVE RAYMOND GAROFALO
What: These bills propose to authorize the performance of notarial functions remotely using technology. Remote online notarization is when documents are notarized in an electronic form where the signer uses an electronic signature and appears before the notary using online audio-video technology.
If passed, this would not be effective until February 1, 2022.
Position: Support
Why: This would make real estate closings more efficient and the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) has supported similar efforts since November 2018.
REAL ESTATE LICENSE RENEWAL DATE
HOUSE BILL NO. 233, REPRESENTATIVE POLLY THOMAS
What:
This bill would require a real estate licensee to renew his or her real estate license by September 30th each year instead of December 31st.
If passed, the changes would take effect in 2021 for the 2022 license year.
Position:
Support
Why:
Louisiana REALTORS® believes the passage of this bill will address issues that may arise when agents or brokers may be practicing with expired licenses for failure to timely renew.
Currently, a real estate license is required to be renewed prior to January 1st of each year. If a licensee misses the renewal date, his or her license is considered expired immediately. This processing period and notice hopefully would allow for a delinquent licensee to remedy his or her failure to renew prior to his or her license expires.
RESIDENTIAL LEASE AGREEMENTS AND SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS
HOUSE BILL NO. 342, REPRESENTATIVE AIMEE FREEMAN
What:
This bill would allow for victims of sexual assault to receive early termination of their residential leases under certain circumstances and when certain actions are taken.
Position:
Oppose
Why:
Louisiana REALTORS® supports the concept of this legislation. However, as proposed the legislation is vague and could be applied in ways we believe were not intended. Louisiana REALTORS® will work with the author, proponents of the legislation, and other stakeholders to hopefully find a solution to the issues sought to be addressed.
RESIDENTIAL LEASES AND EVICTION REQUIREMENTS
HOUSE BILL NO. 388, REPRESENTATIVE MANDIE LANDRY
What:
This bill seeks to do the following: (1) Provide a grace period for nonpayment of rent; (2) Change the notice requirement for terminating month-to-month residential leases; and (3) Remove the ability for a lessee to waive their notice requirements.
Position:
Oppose
Why: A mandated delay for evictions would be onerous on landlords. Each day a rental property is vacant, or a nonpaying tenant is residing in the property is a day the landlord is not producing income from the property. These and other items addressed in the proposed bill should be contractual issues between a landlord and tenant.
SHORT TERM RENTAL REGISTRATIONS
HOUSE BILL NO. 603, REPRESENTATIVE PAULA DAVIS
SENATE BILL NO. 179, SENATOR RONNIE JOHNS
What:
Both of these bills seek to require the owner of short-term rental properties to register the dwelling with the State Fire Marshal for a fee. The bills also require that the registration include an attestation by the owner that includes certain information about what kind of life safety devices are present in the dwelling. The bills propose monetary penalties for failure to register. This registration would be in addition to any registration or regulations a local governmental entity requires for short-term rental properties.
The bills differ in one key area – SB No. 179 authorizes the State Fire Marshal to investigate and inspect a short-term rental dwelling upon a complaint from any person or upon his own initiative when he deems necessary. If upon inspection, he finds the property is especially liable to fire, dangerous to life, or could engager property or occupants, he would be able to prohibit the dwelling from use until he certifies the hazardous condition was eliminated. HB No. 603 does not contain this language.
Position:
Oppose
Why:
Owner-occupied homes would be treated the same as investment properties thereby giving the State Fire Marshal authority to enter a person’s home. Louisiana REALTORS® believes this could be a serious property rights issue. Additionally, this would be burdensome for property owners and add to the costs of owning property.
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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.
