Session Scoop: May 3, 2024

Louisiana REALTORS® • May 6, 2024

Bill Tracking Report as of 5/3/2024

Week 8 Report


Both the House and the Senate were cooking with gas during the eighth week of the 2024 Regular Legislative Session.

 

Read below for summaries of some of the bills Louisiana REALTORS® is supporting or monitoring on your behalf:

 

Constitutional Convention 

HB No. 800, Representative Beau Beaullieu

Status: Heard on House floor, amended and returned to House Calendar

Position: Monitor

 

The bill crafting the framework for an upcoming limited Constitutional Convention was heard on the House floor, amended, and returned to the House Calendar to come up for debate and a House vote at a later date.

 

WIN FOR NOW: The House did amend the bill to state that the homestead exemption would NOT be brought up during the proposed constitutional convention. However, this amendment may or may not stay part of the bill throughout the process.

 

Property Insurance Bills

Bills to attract property insurance companies to Louisiana and to encourage property insurers with policies in the state to begin writing more policies have been passed by the Legislature and are now on the desk of Governor Landry.


The goal of these bills is to attract more property insurers to Louisiana. While the bills are not guaranteed to accomplish this goal, we know the status quo is unsustainable.


SB 295 by Senator Heather Cloud

Status: Sent to the Governor

Position: Support

 

Senate Bill No. 295 would change Louisiana from requiring "prior approval" of proposed insurance rates to a "file & use" system of approving insurance rates, thereby allowing insurers to begin using an actuarily sound market rate subject to receiving the approval of the Commissioner of Insurance within 30 days. This would apply to all lines of property and casualty insurance.


The idea of the bill is that it would allow insurers to manage their business better and have more flexibility to price their products.

House Bill No. 613, by Representative Gabe Firment, is a similar bill and it is pending Senate final passage.


SB 323 by Senator Kirk Talbot

Status: Sent to the Governor

Position: Support

 

This bill would establish and clarify the rights, duties, and timelines imposed on both the policyholder and insurer to ensure swift resolution of an insured’s claims, including offering insurance companies cure periods to make things right. It would retain the insured's ability to file a bad faith claim and receive damages. The law must allow policyholders to force the insurance company to pay what they owe after a storm, without needing to hire an attorney.


When an insurance company is intentionally underpaying, delaying payment, or otherwise hurting policyholders, they should be heavily penalized, but the claims process must be clear and fair for both the policyholder and the insurer.


HB 611 by Representative Gabe Firment

Status: Sent to the Governor

Position: Support

 

With a few exceptions, Louisiana’s 3-year rule essentially prohibits an insurer from canceling or non-renewing a property insurance policy if it is in place for three years. Louisiana is the only place on the planet with this type of law giving us a notorious reputation in the insurance industry worldwide.

 

This bill would sunset this rule so that it no longer applies to new policies going forward.

 

It would also allow insurance companies to non-renew up to 5% of their policies currently protected by the law, each year subject to a plan filed with and approved by the Department of Insurance. This would minimize the impact on the overall market, thereby allowing the relatively few policyholders who are nonrenewed time to find coverage with another insurance company. 

 

SB 370 by Senator Adam Bass, is similar and is pending final House passage.


HB 120 by Representative Matthew Willard

Status: Sent to the Governor

Position: Support

 

Currently, the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program will sunset (end) on June 30, 2025. 

 

This bill would remove the sunset date to allow the program to continue past this date. 

 

It is important to note that the House passed the state budget with $15 million appropriated for this program. However, the budget is not through the process, so this funding is not certain.

 

Public Records Bills 

SB 502, by Senator Blake Miquez

Status: Subject to call; pending Senate floor action

Position: Monitor

 

This bill would require a Louisiana citizen requesting a public record to provide sufficient information to establish his or her age and identification. 

 

The bill was amended on the Senate floor to not apply to in-person or online access to records in the custody of the clerk of court. This bill is pending on the Senate floor calendar.

 

SB 423, by Senator Jay Morris

Status: Pending Senate floor action

Position: Monitor

 

This bill would require a public records request to only be from a Louisiana citizen. 

 

It was amended by the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee to not be construed to limit access to readily available public records, including, but not limited to, mortgage and conveyance records.

 

REALTOR® Related Legislation Summaries

SB 506 by Senator Rick Edmonds (The Senate Commerce Committee reported former SB 322 by a substitute and therefore a new bill number was assigned)

Status: Pending House Commerce

Position: Support

 

Louisiana REALTORS® requested this legislation be filed to curb the predatory practice of what is commonly called the “40-year listing agreement”. 

 

The bill would do this by making it an unfair trade practice to secure a right in a “real estate service agreement” with a mortgage or other encumbrance on a home. Additionally, the bill would provide a simple mechanism for individuals to petition courts to remove these encumbrances from a property title.


The bill defines a “real estate service agreement” as a document executed by a homeowner granting a broker the right to list their home for sale at any time the owner or their heirs want to sell it in exchange for compensating the homeowner. 


By signing these agreements, a homeowner -- usually unknowingly - grants a mortgage on their home to secure obligations in the agreement. And the only way to extinguish the mortgage is to pay the real estate broker holding it – whether the real estate broker listed the home for sale or not. 


These are not listing agreements, rights of first refusals, or options but instead a hybrid mish-mash of things that keep property out of commerce and increase the costs of the home-buying transaction. And must be reined in.


The legislation is now headed to the House after passing unanimously by both the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate.

HB 366 by Representative Paula Davis

Status: Pending Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs

Position: Support

 

House Bill No. 959 pertains to a few matters that Louisiana REALTORS® identified as needing to be addressed over the past year or two.

For instance, Louisiana law often uses the term “real estate agent” which could be interpreted to not include a “real estate broker” due to the common practice of referring to “real estate salespersons” as “agents” and “real estate brokers” as “brokers”.

 

If interpreted this way, real estate brokers could be held liable for certain things real estate salespersons would not be held liable for, real estate salespersons could be eligible for certain work real estate brokers may not be eligible for, and real estate brokers could not be qualified to serve on certain local entities while real estate salesperson could.

 

To prevent this from happening, this bill would amend the definition of “agent” in the real estate law to say that both “agent” and “real estate agent” mean a licensee acting under the provisions of the Louisiana Real Estate License Law in a real estate transaction.” 


The bill also would “clean up” a few issues with defined terms in the Louisiana Real Estate Licensing Law, such as amending the definition of “listing agent” to ensure it would only be read to mean someone licensed by LREC to engage in real estate transactions and not LREC licensed real estate education providers or continuing education vendors.

 

HB 959 by Representative Daryl Deshotel (became HB No. 972)

Status: HB No. 959 was reported by substitute; HB No. 972 is pending House floor action)

Position: Monitor

 

This bill would have “sunset” the existence of professional and occupational licenses by setting a date for them to expire unless “renewed” by the passage of future legislation. It would have included real estate licenses, real estate appraiser licenses, and all others except medical and law licenses. This concept is referred to as “sunsetting”.


However, a substitute bill was adopted in the House Commerce Committee that no longer applies to the real estate profession and instead only allows the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners to grant certain temporary permits and licenses.


SB No. 456 by Senator Thomas Pressley

Status: Pending Senate Commerce

Position: Monitor

 

Senate Bill No. 456, Senator Thomas Pressley, has a sunset provision similar to that of the original House Bill No. 959, but it is much more involved. It includes all professional and occupational licenses including those involving real estate just as House Bill No. 959 originally did. 

When the sunset concept was first implemented for state departments, each entity appeared before its legislative oversight committee to discuss department activities.  A bill would then be filed in the next legislative session to “renew” the department.   While these hearings are no longer a common occurrence, a bill is still filed to “renew” departments each time one is set to “sunset”.


Louisiana REALTORS® has no reason to believe the process of “sunsetting” professional and occupational licenses would work any differently and therefore has a neutral position on the bill.


This reason was previously mistakenly reported with the status as pending the House Commerce Committee. 


Bill Tracking Report by Numerical Order (as of 5/3/24) Bill Tracking Report by Position (as of 5/3/24)

2026 Legislative Session Scoop - Week 9 Recap

By Louisiana REALTORS® • May 8, 2026
Week 9 brought several major Louisiana REALTORS® priorities into posture as the Legislature moved deeper into the final stretch of the session. Two of our top priority bills, HB 468 and HB 1027 both by Representative Troy Hebert , cleared the Legislative Bureau and advanced to the Senate floor calendar for third reading and final passage. HB 468, our residential wholesaling regulation bill, remains one of the most important consumer protection measures of the session. The bill brings transparency, accountability, and clear rules of the road to residential real estate wholesaling in Louisiana. HB 468 previously passed the House by a vote of 96–0 and is now positioned for final Senate consideration. HB 1027, which clarifies that licensed real estate appraisers are not liable for a seller’s failure to comply with carbon monoxide detector requirements, also advanced to the Senate floor calendar after previously passing the House by a vote of 90–0. Both bills remain in strong posture, and Louisiana REALTORS® will continue working for final passage as they move through the Senate. Another major development this week was the House passage of HB 1166 by Representative Kim Carver , which passed unanimously on May 5, 103–0. HB 1166 creates a practical disclosure framework for vacant residential property transactions and is designed to help buyers, sellers and real estate professionals avoid late-stage surprises involving access, utilities, drainage, flood risk, prior use and other material property conditions. This bill has been a key part of Louisiana REALTORS®’ consumer protection and transactional clarity agenda. HB 1166 was received in the Senate on May 7 and now moves into the Senate side of the process, where Louisiana REALTORS® will continue working closely with the author and stakeholders as the bill advances. Tort reform and civil justice issues also moved forward this week. HB 437 by Representative Michael Melerine , which addresses the award of expert witness fees in civil litigation, passed the House by a vote of 75–18 and was received in the Senate on May 7. HB 1089 by Representative Dennis Bamburg Jr. , which creates structured CARE Accounts for certain categories of tort damages, passed the House by a vote of 67–29 and was also received in the Senate. Louisiana REALTORS® continue to support meaningful tort reform as part of the broader effort to improve Louisiana’s legal environment, reduce litigation-driven costs, and help stabilize the property insurance market. A more predictable civil justice system directly supports property owners, consumers, businesses and the long-term health of Louisiana’s real estate market. Property insurance remains one of the most important issues facing homeowners and property owners across the state. HB 1187 by Representative Paul Sawyer , dealing with Citizens Property Insurance emergency assessments, has been received in the Senate and referred to the Senate Insurance Committee after previously passing the House by a vote of 87–9. Several additional insurance-related measures remain active, including bills addressing fortified roof endorsements, stated-value homeowner policies, insurance notice requirements, nonrenewal restrictions, and pre-suit claim review. HB 408 , which addresses insurance nonrenewal prohibitions, and HB 1210 , which addresses mandatory pre-suit claim review, remain pending in the House Insurance Committee. Louisiana REALTORS® will continue to closely monitor these measures because insurance affordability, availability and market stability remain central to housing affordability and private property ownership in Louisiana. Several Senate bills also continued moving through the House processes this week. SB 241 by Senator Valarie Hodges , which requires insurance adjusters and appraisers to include their license numbers in written communications, cleared the Legislative Bureau on May 6 and returned to the House floor calendar. This measure remains relevant to transparency, accountability, and consumer confidence in the insurance claims process. SB 180 by Senator Franklin Foil , which allows surviving spouses of deceased disabled veterans to transfer their expanded property tax exemption, was scheduled for House floor debate this week and remains a positive homeowner protection and property tax fairness measure. Louisiana REALTORS® also continues to monitor legislation dealing with blight, redevelopment and rent stabilization. HB 284 by Representative John Wyble , which would authorize certain parishes and municipalities to expropriate blighted property by declaration of taking, remained on the House calendar this week as a notice-given, subject-to-call bill. The bill previously failed on the House floor by a narrow vote of 48–47 and remains under active reconsideration. Blight policy is important, but redevelopment tools must be balanced with private property rights, due process, and protections for property owners. HB 472 by Representative Alonzo Knox , which would authorize municipalities to implement rent stabilization programs, remains involuntarily deferred in committee. Louisiana REALTORS® continues to oppose rent control and rent stabilization proposals in any form because these policies reduce housing supply, discourage investment, and ultimately worsen affordability challenges over time. As we move into Week 10, Louisiana REALTORS® will remain focused on securing final Senate passage of HB 468 and HB 1027, advancing HB 1166 through the Senate, and continuing to engage on the tort reform and insurance measures that directly affect property owners, housing affordability and the real estate profession. With REALTOR® Day at the Capitol taking place during this critical stretch of the session, member engagement will be especially important as legislators continue to make decisions on real estate, insurance, liability, redevelopment and private property rights issues. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.

2026 Legislative Session Scoop - Week 8 Recap

By Louisiana REALTORS® • May 1, 2026
Week 8 was one of the most consequential weeks of the session so far for Louisiana REALTORS® and the real estate industry. Two of the association’s flagship bills moved to the brink of final Senate action, rent stabilization was stopped again in committee, major insurance legislation continued to advance, and several bills affecting property rights, tort reform and transaction practice saw meaningful movement. The biggest developments of the week came on HB 468 and HB 1027 , both by Rep. Troy Hebert . HB 468 , the residential wholesaling bill, cleared the Senate Commerce Committee on April 28, had its amendments adopted on April 29, and was referred to the Legislative Bureau putting it one step away from the Senate floor. HB 1027 , the appraiser liability bill, followed the same path after its overwhelming House passage earlier this month and is also now pending Legislative Bureau review before final Senate consideration. Louisiana REALTORS® strongly supports both measures, which are designed to strengthen consumer protection, improve market clarity and reinforce confidence in the real estate transaction process. On the rent-control front, HB 472 by Rep. Alonzo Knox was brought back before the House Municipal, Local and Parochial Affairs Committee this week. Louisiana REALTORS® testified in opposition, and the committee voted 8-5 to defer the bill involuntarily. That is a meaningful win for property owners, housing providers, and the long-term health of Louisiana’s housing market. Louisiana REALTORS® remains firmly opposed to rent stabilization proposals, which may sound politically attractive, but have consistently been tied to reduced housing supply, deterioration in rental stock and long-term affordability problems in markets where they are adopted. Insurance remained one of the session’s most active and important policy areas. HB 1187, Rep. Paul Sawyer , dealing with Louisiana Citizens for emergency assessments, passed the full House 87-9 on April 29, and now heads to the Senate. Because Citizens' assessments can ultimately affect policyholders across the state, this bill has clear relevance for affordability and homeownership costs. HB 408, Rep. Edmond Jordan was heard in House Insurance Committee this week and remains pending. This bill would prohibit insurers from non-renewing residential policies when homeowners have taken documented steps to reduce risk, an issue with direct implications for insurability and failed closings in vulnerable markets. In addition, SB 241 by Sen. Valarie Hodges , which requires insurance adjusters and appraisers to include their license numbers in written communications, cleared House Insurance unanimously and is now headed to the House floor. Taken together, these measures reflect the legislature’s continued focus on insurance stability, transparency and accountability, all of which remain central to real estate activity in Louisiana. Week 8 also brought movement on broader tort reform and property-rights-related legislation. HB 437 , addressing expert witness fees, and HB 1089 , creating structured CARE Accounts for tort damages, both cleared House Civil Law and are now set for House floor debate next week. Meanwhile, SB 180 by Sen. Franklin Foil , allowing surviving spouses of disabled veterans to transfer a property tax exemption, is nearing final House passage after advancing to third reading. While not all of these bills directly regulate licensees, they reflect the broader civil liability and property tax environment that affects the cost and accessibility of owning property in Louisiana. Another key bill for the industry, HB 1166 by Rep. Kim Carver , remains very much alive and is now positioned for House floor debate on Tuesday, May 5 . The bill would require disclosures for vacant residential property, and it would close an existing gap in Louisiana law that currently exempts many vacant homes from standard seller disclosure rules. After being called and returned to the calendar earlier in the week, the bill is now finally set for debate. Louisiana REALTORS® also intends to use the bill as a vehicle for a structural amendment to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission that would move toward a more geographically balanced appointment process, with one member appointed from each congressional district and the remaining members appointed at large. That change would better ensure regional representation across Louisiana’s diverse real estate markets and help modernize the commission’s structure. Taken together, week 8 was a strong and consequential week for Louisiana REALTORS®. The association’s two flagship bills are now within reach of Senate floor passage, rent stabilization was turned back in committee, important insurance legislation continued moving, and HB 1166 remains positioned as both a major disclosure bill and a possible vehicle for meaningful LREC reform. Louisiana REALTORS® remains fully engaged at every stage of the process to protect private property rights, support practical regulation and advance policies that strengthen Louisiana’s real estate market. Lastly, this week, Louisiana REALTORS® wants to extend sincere thanks to Rep. Delisha Boyd — a real estate broker herself — for her tireless work shepherding HB 292 through the legislative process. The security deposit fairness bill, which allows landlords and tenants to mutually agree in writing to extend the timeline for returning a security deposit when damage is found, has passed to third reading and final passage in the Senate and is nearly on its way to the Governor's desk. This has been a meaningful win for both property owners and renters across Louisiana. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
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By Louisiana REALTORS® • April 24, 2026
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