Louisiana Officially Moves to Phase Two of Roadmap to a Resilient Louisiana
LOUISIANA REALTORS • June 9, 2020
Gov. John Edwards has officially moved Louisiana to Phase Two
of the White House plan for reopening. Governor Edwards and Louisiana REALTORS® still caution members of the public and businesses to continue to take mitigation measures, such as wearing masks when in public, to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 as more people will be interacting with each other.
The Governor’s order follows the White House plan for Opening Up America Again. The order is effective Friday, June 5th through Friday, June 26th. If Governor Edwards remains consistent and the conditions continue to improve, the Governor will likely make an announcement early during the week of June 22nd regarding the plans following the expiration of this order.
Major changes in Phase Two include allowing many more businesses to operate at fifty percent capacity with social distancing, masks for public-facing employees, and increased sanitization. In addition, the state strongly recommends that businesses consider offering temperature checks before a person can enter and posting the symptoms of COVID-19 outside with a request that symptomatic individuals not enter.
A second order outlines extensions of legal deadlines and other administrative matters. Specifically, administrative deadlines are suspended until June 15th, including evictions and foreclosure procedures. Legal prescription remains suspended through July 5th.
The State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Louisiana Department of Health have issued guidance for churches and different types of businesses to help them enter Phase Two in a way that ensures they operate safely and at the maximum level allowed. Business owners can find information at https://opensafely.la.gov/.
The following businesses remain closed: carnivals, amusement parks, water parks, fairs, contact sports, children’s indoor play centers, arcades, trampoline parks, theme parks, concert and music halls, and other similar businesses. Live entertainment is not permitted inside any building or indoor function.
Louisiana REALTORS® still suggests you continue to exercise extreme caution in showing properties and holding open houses. The guidance Louisiana REALTORS® issued on May 15th
regarding office operations, open houses and possible changes remains the same today.
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.
Learn how Louisiana real estate regulations, disclosure laws, and licensing standards help protect homebuyers and create safer, more transparent transactions.
Nominations are open now through April 24, 2026, for the Louisiana REALTORS® 2025 REALTOR® of the Year & the 2025 Lawrence R. DeMarcay, Jr. Distinguished Service Award. Both awards are aimed to showcase an individual who has volunteered their time in service to the real estate industry. Recipients of the awards will be recognized during the Spring Legislative Conference. (Registration coming soon!) Please see the below links with the selection criteria and consider submitting a nomination today. Contact Donna Teekel at (225) 224-0704 or dteekel@larealtors.org with any questions.
