Louisiana Bill Tracking And State Guide
Everything you need to know to engage with the Senate and House
How does a bill become law in Louisiana?
How a Bill Becomes a Law in Louisiana
The process of how a bill becomes a law in Louisiana involves several steps:
- Legislative Session: The Louisiana Legislature meets annually during a legislative session, which can be one of five types: Organizational, Emergency, Extraordinary, Regular, or Veto.
- Bill Introduction: A bill is proposed by a legislator to change, enact, or repeal a law. Various types of bills include House Bills, Senate Bills, and Resolutions.
- Bill Filing: Once a bill is filed and the legislative session begins, it starts the process of becoming a law.
- Status Changes: As the bill progresses, its status changes from Original to Engrossed (with committee amendments), Reengrossed (with floor amendments), and finally to Enrolled (final form for submission to the governor).
- Governor's Approval: The Enrolled bill is sent to the governor for approval or veto. If signed by the governor or allowed to become law without a signature, it is assigned an Act number by the secretary of state.
- Finalization: The bill becomes an Act after passing through all the above steps successfully.
How can a member of the public get involved in the legislative process in Louisiana?
A member of the public can get involved in the legislative process in Louisiana in several ways:
1. Attend Legislative Sessions: Citizens can attend the various types of legislative sessions (Regular, Extraordinary, etc.) where lawmakers convene to discuss and create laws.
2. Engage with Legislators: Members of the public can reach out to their elected representatives in the House of Representatives and Senate to express their opinions, concerns, or support for specific bills. This can be done through email, phone calls, or in-person meetings.
3. Participate in Public Hearings: Legislative committees often hold public hearings where individuals can provide input or testimony on proposed legislation. Attending these hearings allows citizens to share their views and influence the legislative process.
4. Follow the Legislative Process: Individuals can stay informed about bills and resolutions being introduced and their progress through the legislative process by using a bill tracking service.
5. Submit Proposals or Resolutions: While it is primarily legislators who introduce bills, individuals may work with their representatives to propose ideas for new laws or changes to existing laws.
6. Contact Advocacy Groups: Joining or working with advocacy groups that align with specific interests or issues can amplify public voices in the legislative process.
How can FastDemocracy help me with that?
Tracking bills is hard, especially if you rely on state legislature websites, which are often hard to navigate. Thousands of bills get filed in Louisiana every year (and about 180,000 bills nationwide). If you want to be an effective advocate, you need to know where legislation of interest stands, and act quickly.
FastDemocracy's free version allows you to track an unlimited number of bills - no strings attached. We'll send you a daily or weekly email on your priority bills and give you tools to research bills and legislators.
FastDemocracy Professional is for anyone who tracks bills in a professional capacity. It features
- real-time bill, amendment and hearing alerts
- automated reporting
- team collaboration
- bill tagging for clients and stakeholders
- bill similarity detection
- ...and much more
How do I track bills in Louisiana?
1. Sign up here for a free FastDemocracy account.
2. Head to Tracked Topics to select issue areas you care about.
3. Use the search bar on top if you're looking for something specific.
4. Click "Track Bill" for any legislation you'd like to monitor a bit closer. That's how you add it to your Tracked Bills. You can also click on a bill to learn more, see the bill summary, most recent actions, votes, news and tweets. You can also contact legislators or share your bills on social media.
5. You can track an unlimited number of bills for free and we'll send you a daily or weekly email if your tracked legislation moves.
6. Do you need real-time alerts, outreach tools, bill lists, and professional functions? Then FastDemocracy Professional is the right fit for you.
7. Track bills on your smartphone using our free mobile app.
How do I find my local Louisiana Senator and Representative?
You can use the Find Your Legislators tool to find them, see their voting records, and contact them.
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Most tracked bills in Louisiana, 2025 Regular Session
PUBLIC MEETINGS: Provides criminal liability for certain violations of the Open Meetings Law
Last Action
Withdrawn prior to introduction.
House • Mar 31, 2025TAX/SALES-USE, LOCAL-EXEM: Exempts certain foods and beverages sold in unincorporated areas of Caddo Parish from local sales and use taxes
Last Action
Withdrawn prior to introduction.
House • Mar 28, 2025WORKERS COMPENSATION: Provides for adoption of a medical fee reimbursement schedule for workers' compensation
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/28/2025.
House • Mar 28, 2025Latest Version
TOPS: Revises Taylor Opportunity Program for Students award amounts and adds an award category for students with an ACT score of 31 or above
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/21/2025.
House • Mar 21, 2025Latest Version
CRIME/SEX OFFENSES: Creates the crimes of felony and misdemeanor intentional exposure to a sexually transmitted disease
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/21/2025.
House • Mar 21, 2025Latest Version
DISTRICTS/SPECIAL: Provides relative to the members of a board of commissioners of an East Feliciana Parish gas utility district
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/21/2025.
House • Mar 21, 2025Latest Version
VITAL RECORDS/BIRTH CERT: Provides relative to the issuance of a death certificate in certain circumstances
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/21/2025.
House • Mar 21, 2025Latest Version
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/21/2025.
House • Mar 21, 2025Latest Version
CRIME/PUNISHMENT: Prohibits any act intended to hinder, delay, prevent, or otherwise interfere with or thwart federal immigration enforcement efforts. (8/1/25)
- Jay Morris
Last Action
Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.
Senate • Mar 19, 2025Latest Version
Last Action
Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
Senate • Mar 18, 2025Latest Version
TAX/INCOME/PERSONAL: Excludes certain amounts deposited into ABLE accounts for qualified expenses of persons with disabilities from state income tax. (8/1/25)
Last Action
Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs.
Senate • Mar 17, 2025Latest Version
CURRICULA: Provides relative to required instruction in financial literacy for high school students
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/14/2025.
House • Mar 14, 2025Latest Version
CIVIL/LAW: Provides relative to the freedom to display the flag of the United States
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/14/2025.
House • Mar 14, 2025Latest Version
VETERANS: Provides relative to healthcare facilities operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs for war veterans
- Jay Galle
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/14/2025.
House • Mar 14, 2025Latest Version
CRIME/SEX OFFENSES: Provides relative to sex offenses committed against minors
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/14/2025.
House • Mar 14, 2025Latest Version
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/14/2025.
House • Mar 14, 2025Latest Version
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/14/2025.
House • Mar 14, 2025Latest Version
CIVIL SERVICE: Constitutional amendment to provide for persons in the unclassified service and for appointment of persons on the State Civil Service Commission. (2/3 - CA13s1(A))
- Jay Morris
Last Action
Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.
Senate • Mar 11, 2025Latest Version
CRIME: Provides for a minimum mandatory sentence for certain hit and run driving offenses
Last Action
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 3/7/2025.
House • Mar 07, 2025Latest Version
STATE POLICE RETIREMENT: Allows for credit for out-of-state full-time law enforcement service. (gov sig)
Last Action
Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Retirement.
Senate • Feb 18, 2025Latest Version
All Legislators in Louisiana (Senator and Representative)
