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LouisianaHB 2242026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

CHILDRENS CODE: Provides for the continuous revision of the Children's Code

Sponsored By: Mike Johnson (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Judiciary AHealth and Welfare

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

8 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Foster children can keep their school

A foster child can stay in the public school attended when the child entered foster care. The department must decide that staying is in the child’s best interest. Enrollment continues during state custody or until the child finishes the highest grade offered at that school. Transportation is provided under the state’s school transportation rules.

Caregivers get hearing notices and input

The department must notify foster caregivers, pre-adoptive parents, and relatives providing care about covered orders and hearings. These include disposition, case review, and permanency hearings, plus notices when covered hearings are postponed for children in foster care. Courts must seek and consider information from those who attend about the child’s care. When parents or caregivers are absent, courts must record notice findings and follow the required service or search steps before proceeding. For an absent child, courts must record attendance decisions and whether the hearing can proceed.

Parents and children get rights explained

Judges must explain rights and possible consequences to parents and children in clear, age-appropriate words. This happens at the continued custody hearing or the first hearing the child attends, whichever comes first. The explanation covers lawyers, language help, accommodations, the child’s participation, and possible detention, fines, imprisonment, or removal. Judges must also give written information to parents and children. Foster caregivers, pre-adoptive parents, and relatives providing care receive it if present.

Parents can surrender to foster caregivers

A parent can privately surrender a child in the department’s legal custody to a foster caregiver with court approval. The recipient is no longer limited to the caregiver with whom the department placed the child. The department must receive notice. The court must hold a hearing where the surrender can be contested if the department requests one.

Clearer rules for foster care providers

Foster care means a child is in state custody and receives temporary services from the department. It includes care in foster homes, relatives’ homes, residential facilities, and other state-approved, supervised settings, but not detention. A foster caregiver provides a home and care with the department’s approval and supervision.

Early custody requests face new limits

Before the court decides a child’s case, anyone, including a relative, can request provisional legal custody. The law no longer allows a request for permanent legal custody at that stage.

Relatives can join cases with limits

Relatives and trusted nonrelatives can file a written request to join a child-welfare case at any stage. A qualifying nonrelative must have a close, established, significant relationship with the child or parent. After a hearing, the court may approve participation for good cause when it serves the child’s best interest. After the court decides the case, participation must also help secure a permanent home. Participants can receive notices and present relevant evidence, but courts can limit participation and records access and must end participation when it no longer serves the child’s best interest.

Three child welfare articles are repealed

The law repeals Children’s Code Articles 650, 697, and 707. The supplied text does not describe those articles, so their specific effects on families cannot be determined.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Mike Johnson

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 145 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/11/2026

Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 36 • No: 0

House vote • 3/31/2026

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 98, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 98 • No: 0

House vote • 3/25/2026

Reported favorably

Yes: 11 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 139.

    5/15/2026House

  2. Effective date: 08/01/2026.

    5/15/2026House

  3. Signed by the President of the Senate.

    5/13/2026Senate

  4. Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

    5/13/2026House

  5. Received from the Senate without amendments.

    5/12/2026House

  6. Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

    5/12/2026House

  7. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    5/11/2026Senate

  8. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

    5/4/2026Senate

  9. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    4/29/2026Senate

  10. Reported favorably.

    4/28/2026Senate

  11. Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.

    4/1/2026Senate

  12. Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 98, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

    3/31/2026House

  13. Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

    3/31/2026Senate

  14. Scheduled for floor debate on 03/31/2026.

    3/30/2026House

  15. Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

    3/26/2026House

  16. Reported favorably (11-0).

    3/25/2026House

  17. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

    3/9/2026House

  18. First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.

    2/20/2026House

  19. Prefiled.

    2/19/2026House

  20. Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

    2/19/2026House

Bill Text

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