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LouisianaSB 3332026 Regular SessionSenate

CHILDREN: Provides relative to a caregiver providing care to a child in need of care proceedings. (8/1/26)

Sponsored By: Heather Cloud (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Health and WelfareJudiciary A

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Caregivers gain a voice in court

Beginning August 1, 2026, Louisiana expands hearing notice and participation rights for caregivers in child welfare cases. Foster caregivers, pre-adoptive parents, and relatives caring for the child must receive hearing details and notice of their participation rights. Notices include the court address and hearing date, time, and place; permanency hearing notices must be written. Pre-adoptive parents qualify through the case or permanency plan, or court-ordered custody when adoption is the plan. Caregivers who attend disposition, permanency, or case-review hearings get a reasonable chance to speak. Their information must come from firsthand knowledge of the child’s care, development, health, education, relationships, or support needs. Courts may limit testimony’s scope but must weigh caregiver information with other admissible evidence.

Federal funding supports family legal representation

Beginning August 1, 2026, Louisiana’s child welfare department must negotiate reimbursement agreements with in-state legal representation agencies and provide technical help. Federal Title IV-E reimbursement covers only eligible legal costs in foster care and adoption proceedings. New agencies must request inclusion by August 1 for the next fiscal year; agreements cannot start before the following July 1. The department may limit new agencies based on capacity. Agreements must set payment, billing, documentation, compliance, and audit rules, and may include a reasonable administrative fee. Agencies keep reimbursements for legal representation services; state agencies cannot divert or reduce that money. The department must process reimbursements, determine eligibility, and review compliance promptly, while preserving state and federal audit rights. Implementing rules are due by July 1, 2027.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Heather Cloud

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 143 • No: 0

House vote • 5/26/2026

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 97 • No: 0

House vote • 5/19/2026

Reported with amendments

Yes: 11 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/5/2026

Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 35 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 758.

    6/2/2026Senate

  2. Effective date 8/1/2026.

    6/2/2026Senate

  3. Signed by the Speaker of the House.

    5/29/2026House

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

    5/29/2026Senate

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

    5/28/2026Senate

  6. Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

    5/26/2026House

  7. Received from the House with amendments.

    5/26/2026Senate

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

    5/25/2026House

  9. Scheduled for floor debate on 05/26/2026.

    5/25/2026House

  10. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

    5/20/2026House

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

    5/19/2026House

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

    5/7/2026House

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

    5/6/2026House

  14. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays; ordered reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    5/5/2026Senate

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

    4/29/2026Senate

  16. Reported with amendments.

    4/28/2026Senate

  17. Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.

    3/9/2026Senate

  18. Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.

    2/27/2026Senate

Bill Text

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