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LouisianaHB 8342026 Regular SessionHouse

ANIMALS: Provides relative to animal shelters

Sponsored By: Wayne McMahen (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

Deadlines for owners to reclaim lost animals

Louisiana's designated shelters must follow state and local holding periods before taking ownership of lost or stray domestic animals. When no period is set, the minimum is three days, excluding legal public holidays. During the hold, shelters must diligently seek the owner, scan for a microchip, and check other identifying information. These scans and checks must happen at least twice, at least 24 hours apart; dates must be kept for at least one year. Shelters must keep possession, but foster care is allowed if the foster returns the animal on request. The public must be able to view the animal, or its photo and written description, and related records. When owner information is found, shelters must notify the owner and allow at least three days to respond, excluding legal public holidays. That response period starts with the first notification attempt. A located owner has seven days from notification to reclaim the animal, unless the owner gives it up. After the hold and diligent efforts to identify, notify, and return an unclaimed animal, the shelter or local government can take ownership. It can then transfer the animal as allowed by law, including to a rescue group. Existing laws allowing immediate ownership through abandonment, transfer, relinquishment, or other lawful means remain unchanged.

Privacy protection for new animal owners

When a shelter takes ownership under this law and transfers an animal, it must protect the recipient's privacy. It cannot share the new owner's identity or contact details with anyone, including the prior owner. Disclosure is allowed only with the new owner's written consent or a lawfully issued subpoena.

Local governments can choose animal shelters

Louisiana local governments can designate shelters for lost, stray, and roaming domestic animals found within their borders; designation is optional. Eligible operators include local governments, private businesses, nonprofits, licensed veterinarians, and other reasonably capable providers. Designated shelters must follow state and local shelter laws. Local governments control shelter selection, contracts, operations, service levels, cooperation with other local governments, and removal of a designation. They can adopt standards that meet or exceed this law and set longer holding periods by local ordinance. The law creates no statewide shelter licensing system and does not increase local governments' financial burden. It directs that these rules support humane animal treatment, local flexibility, and avoidance of unnecessary regulation.

Limits on damage claims against shelters

The law limits civil damage claims for shelter actions taken in good faith under these rules. This protection covers local governments, designated shelters, and their officers and employees. It does not cover gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Wayne McMahen

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 143 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/12/2026

Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 35 • No: 0

House vote • 4/15/2026

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 94 • No: 0

House vote • 4/9/2026

Reported with amendments

Yes: 14 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 178.

    5/15/2026House

  2. Effective date: 08/01/2026.

    5/15/2026House

  3. Signed by the President of the Senate.

    5/14/2026Senate

  4. Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

    5/14/2026House

  5. Received from the Senate without amendments.

    5/13/2026House

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

    5/13/2026House

  7. Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    5/12/2026Senate

  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 Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development.

    4/20/2026Senate

  12. Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

    4/15/2026House

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

    4/15/2026Senate

  14. Scheduled for floor debate on 04/15/2026.

    4/14/2026House

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

    4/13/2026House

  16. Reported with amendments (14-0).

    4/9/2026House

  17. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development.

    3/9/2026House

  18. Prefiled.

    2/27/2026House

  19. Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development.

    2/27/2026House

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

    2/27/2026House

Bill Text

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