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LouisianaSB 2892026 Regular SessionSenate

PUBLIC RECORDS: Provides for confidentiality of certain information in public records requests for universities. (8/1/26)

Sponsored By: Mark Abraham (Republican)

Became Law

House and Governmental AffairsSenate and Governmental Affairs

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 5 mixed.

Privacy for college safety report participants

Beginning August 1, 2026, Louisiana public colleges and their management boards shield identifying details from public-records access. This covers people reporting student-code or safety-policy violations and reported witnesses. In violence or abuse cases, it also covers potential victims directly related to the reported violation. The information must be held or controlled by the college or board and received under adopted written policies. Access remains available when state or federal law specifically requires it, or a court orders it under discovery rules.

College applicants gain privacy before selection

Beginning August 1, 2026, Louisiana public colleges and affiliated foundations keep covered applicants’ records confidential unless applicants authorize disclosure. Covered jobs are president, chancellor, senior vice chancellor, and athletic coach. The protection covers applications, resumes, and identifying information. When the governing board approves a candidate, records for the top three finalists, including the approved candidate, become public. Other applicants’ records remain confidential unless they authorize disclosure.

College donors can request identity privacy

Beginning August 1, 2026, Louisiana public colleges and affiliated foundations keep donor-identifying portions of records confidential when donors request it. Donor identities are not automatically confidential. The rule limits public access to those identifying details, not the entire record.

College partnership talks gain temporary privacy

Beginning August 1, 2026, Louisiana public colleges and affiliated foundations can withhold records of industry-partnership talks. The records custodian must determine that disclosure would harm negotiations and disclose that determination when records are requested. Protection lasts up to 12 months from the initial determination. If talks remain active, one new determination can extend protection by up to six months. This limits continuous protection under this rule to 18 months.

College research records gain limited privacy

Beginning August 1, 2026, Louisiana public colleges and affiliated foundations withhold covered research and grant records from public-records access. This covers proprietary, unpublished, or incomplete academic research and unsubmitted grant applications. Protection ends upon disclosure, publication, public announcement, or public knowledge of the research or application. It also ends when a related grant application is submitted or related intellectual property rights are granted or denied.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Mark Abraham

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 141 • No: 2

House vote • 5/7/2026

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

Yes: 94 • No: 0

House vote • 4/28/2026

Reported with amendments

Yes: 11 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/30/2026

Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 2 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 36 • No: 2

Actions Timeline

  1. Becomes Act No. 596 without the Governor's signature.

    6/1/2026Senate

  2. Effective date 8/1/2026.

    6/1/2026Senate

  3. Sent to the Governor by the Secretary of the Senate.

    5/20/2026Senate

  4. Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate.

    5/19/2026Senate

  5. Signed by the Speaker of the House.

    5/19/2026House

  6. Received from the House with amendments.

    5/11/2026Senate

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

    5/7/2026House

  8. Scheduled for floor debate on 05/07/2026.

    5/6/2026House

  9. Read by title, amended, passed to 3rd reading.

    5/5/2026House

  10. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

    4/29/2026House

  11. Reported with amendments (11-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    4/28/2026House

  12. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

    4/1/2026House

  13. Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.

    3/31/2026House

  14. Called from the Calendar.

    3/30/2026Senate

  15. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 2 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    3/30/2026Senate

  16. Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.

    3/23/2026Senate

  17. Read by title. Committee amendments read and adopted. Ordered engrossed and passed to third reading and final passage.

    3/16/2026Senate

  18. Reported with amendments.

    3/11/2026Senate

  19. Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.

    3/9/2026Senate

  20. Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.

    2/27/2026Senate

Bill Text

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