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LouisianaHB 3352026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE: Provides relative to entities administering public benefits

Sponsored By: Chance Keith Henry (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Judiciary BJudiciary

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

Food distributions exempt from citizenship checks

Organizations, farmers’ markets, farm stands, and nonprofits are exempt from this section when distributing food or food incentives. People receiving food through these channels are not subject to this section’s citizenship or immigration checks.

Medicaid providers exempt from citizenship checks

Healthcare providers serving Medicaid recipients are exempt from this citizenship-verification section. These providers do not have to perform the checks required by this section.

Emergency aid protected from verification enforcement

This section does not apply to good-faith actions protecting life, health, safety, or access to essential services during emergencies. The protection also covers disaster response, post-disaster recovery, and public health operations. No liability or enforcement under this section attaches to those covered actions.

Citizenship checks for public benefit applicants

Louisiana state agencies, local governments, and other public benefit administrators must check applicants’ U.S. citizenship or qualifying immigration status. This covers federal, state, and local benefits, unless federal law bars the check or a legal exemption applies. Further duties begin when the applicant’s allowed time to prove citizenship ends. They also begin after final checks show both disqualifying citizenship or immigration status and entry without inspection or admission, or an overstayed authorized stay. Administrators must report verification results at each fiscal year’s end, including counts of people reported to immigration enforcement and assistance terminations. Reports go to the Senate president, House speaker, governor, and David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library.

Service providers exempt but must request proof

Providers of domestic abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, human trafficking, homelessness, disaster response, or pregnancy assistance are generally exempt. This includes shelters and nonprofit service providers. They must still request proof of citizenship or qualified immigration status. Records must show whether proof was provided and whether services continued or stopped based on status. Providers must also keep data required by rules or needed for an audit. Only these records must be given to the Legislative Auditor for compliance with this section. Providers need not report someone solely because status cannot be verified. They must answer lawful U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement requests about people who failed to provide proof, following applicable law. The exemption does not block cooperation with federal authorities when required by law.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Chance Keith Henry

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 187 • No: 42

House vote • 5/29/2026

Read by title, roll called, yeas 77, nays 22, Senate amendments concurred in.

Yes: 77 • No: 22

Senate vote • 5/27/2026

Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 33 yeas and 3 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 33 • No: 3

House vote • 4/29/2026

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 77, nays 17. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 77 • No: 17

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 795.

    6/8/2026House

  2. Effective date: 08/01/2026.

    6/8/2026House

  3. Signed by the President of the Senate.

    6/1/2026Senate

  4. Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

    6/1/2026House

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

    5/31/2026House

  6. Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.

    5/29/2026House

  7. Read by title, roll called, yeas 77, nays 22, Senate amendments concurred in.

    5/29/2026House

  8. Received from the Senate with amendments.

    5/28/2026House

  9. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 33 yeas and 3 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    5/27/2026Senate

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

    5/26/2026Senate

  11. Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    5/25/2026Senate

  12. Reported with amendments.

    5/21/2026Senate

  13. Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary B.

    5/4/2026Senate

  14. Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 77, nays 17. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

    4/29/2026House

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

    4/29/2026Senate

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

    4/27/2026House

  17. Scheduled for floor debate on 04/29/2026.

    4/27/2026House

  18. Reported with amendments (12-5-1).

    4/23/2026House

  19. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

    3/9/2026House

  20. First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.

    2/27/2026House

  21. Prefiled.

    2/24/2026House

  22. Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

    2/24/2026House

Bill Text

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