Louisiana Legislature to Reconvene Monday, May 4th
LOUISIANA REALTORS • May 1, 2020
The Louisiana Legislature will reconvene on Monday, May 4th. The Legislature will reportedly concentrate on bills dealing with state budget issues, COVID-19 issues, and those that are meant to help the economy.
Legislative Bill Tracker Updated 5/1/2020
House and Senate Committees will start hearing these bills Monday, May 4th with protocols in place to ensure the health and safety of those who are at the Capitol. Those protocols can be viewed in the document below.
Legislative leadership has asked that as much business as possible be conducted by phone and/or e-mail. Therefore, the Louisiana REALTORS® Lobbying Team will be at the Capitol less this year. However, please be assured that your lobbying team is making phone calls about bills that will affect your livelihood and property rights and will be physically present at the Capitol when necessary.
An updated list of bills Louisiana REALTORS is tracking is available here:
Louisiana’s 2026 Regular Session opened this week with several developments that matter directly to REALTORS ®, property managers and housing providers, alongside some broader political shifts worth watching. HB 292: Security Deposit Return Timelines Rep. Delisha Boyd’s HB 292, which addresses procedures for returning residential security deposits, was deferred to next week. This provides additional time for stakeholders to engage with members on practical impacts for lease administration, move out inspections and documentation standards. We’ll continue working to ensure any changes to deposit law are clear, workable and do not expose housing providers to unreasonable liability. Land Use and Development: St. James Parish Decision The Louisiana Supreme Court’s recent St. James Parish decision significantly tightens the standards for overturning local land use decisions, reinforcing that zoning and permitting authority rests with parish and municipal governments as long as their decisions are not arbitrary or capricious. For real estate and development, that means more predictability if projects are aligned with adopted plans and ordinances, but also higher stakes in local elections, planning processes and parish-level negotiations. Governor’s State of the State In his State of the State address, Governor Jeff Landry reiterated his push to phase out the state income tax, expand the LA GATOR and MJ Foster scholarship and workforce programs, and replace vehicle inspection stickers with a QR code system. These programs frame a debate around long-term competitiveness, workforce readiness and household cost of living which are all key drivers of housing demand and migration patterns. Business & Market Trends The business community is focusing the session on insurance, workforce and energy. Commercial and property insurance costs remain a top concern for employers and property owners, and we are monitoring civil justice and insurance reform proposals that could affect market stability and availability. At the same time, Louisiana is seeing more than $100 billion in announced industrial and data center projects, which could reshape local markets, labor conditions and housing needs in multiple regions of the state. Please view the weekly bill tracking report at the link below provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
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