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LouisianaSB 662026 Regular SessionSenate

CHILDREN: Provides for testimony of medical experts in child custody and in need of care cases. (8/1/26)

Sponsored By: Valarie Hodges (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Civil Law and ProcedureJudiciary A

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Medical experts testify first in child cases

Beginning August 1, 2026, Louisiana courts must hear subpoenaed medical experts before the parties and other witnesses. This rule applies to child custody and child-in-need-of-care cases involving allegations of child abuse or neglect. The expert must have been ordered to testify through a subpoena based on those allegations. Courts must take the expert’s testimony for all purposes covered by the subpoena. Courts can depart from this order when exceptional circumstances prevent it.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Valarie Hodges

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • Ed Larvadain III

    Democratic • House

  • Emily Chenevert

    Republican • House

  • Kathy Edmonston

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 137 • No: 0

House vote • 4/28/2026

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 • 4/22/2026

Reported favorably

Yes: 6 • No: 0

Senate vote • 4/13/2026

Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 37 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 9.

    4/30/2026Senate

  2. Effective date 8/1/2026.

    4/30/2026Senate

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

    4/29/2026Senate

  4. Signed by the Speaker of the House.

    4/29/2026House

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

    4/29/2026Senate

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

    4/28/2026House

  7. Received from the House without amendments.

    4/28/2026Senate

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

    4/27/2026House

  9. Scheduled for floor debate on 04/28/2026.

    4/27/2026House

  10. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

    4/23/2026House

  11. Reported favorably (6-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    4/22/2026House

  12. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.

    4/14/2026House

  13. Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    4/13/2026Senate

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

    4/13/2026House

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

    4/8/2026Senate

  16. Rules suspended. Reported with amendments.

    4/7/2026Senate

  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.

    2/19/2026Senate

Bill Text

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