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LouisianaSB 832026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

SCHOOLS: Provides for training to prevent human trafficking at public elementary and secondary schools and provides for victims' services. (gov sig) (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

Sponsored By: Rick Edmonds (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Education

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

More help for child trafficking victims

Children under 18 who are found to be trafficking victims qualify for specialized services and care coordination. Child victims and youth victims ages 18–21 qualify for advocacy services. Help includes benefit applications, victims’ compensation, health and mental-health care, housing, education, job training, child care, and legal services. State agencies caring for child victims must ensure full access to these services. Mandatory reporters must report suspected child trafficking to the state child welfare hotline, regardless of whether a caregiver is involved. The child welfare department must promptly notify Louisiana State Police, which refers cases to local law enforcement. The law creates teams with several specialties and lets the child welfare department contract for teams and statewide care coordination. Implementation of the specified care-coordination provisions depends on legislative funding.

More service referrals for adult trafficking victims

Victims age 18 or older must receive information about treatment or specialized services, or a referral for help. Support includes help applying for federal and state benefits and victims’ compensation. It also includes coordination of health and mental-health care, housing, education, job training, child care, and legal services. Community referrals depend on available services; adults can choose family reunification or a return to their place of origin. State agencies with custody of victims must ensure access to care coordination and advocacy. Implementation of the specified care-coordination provisions depends on legislative funding.

Louisiana coordinates trafficking prevention and victim services

The Governor’s Office of Human Trafficking Prevention leads a statewide plan to prevent trafficking and address victims’ needs. It must work with child welfare, juvenile justice, other agencies, and outside groups. The Department of Health and Human Services and Governor’s Office define and administer statewide care coordination and advocacy. Contracted service providers must report annually on services, staff training and certifications, service areas, people served without identifying them, and status updates. Law enforcement and district attorneys must report annually on trafficking investigations, outcomes, services offered, and victim demographics. The Governor’s Office uses a common data system for child and adult cases and reports to lawmakers by February 1 each year. Care teams can access needed confidential agency records and share them within the team, but outside disclosure requires legal authority. Public and private entities can also share confidential records to secure services; those records remain the supplying entity’s property. The act takes effect upon the governor’s signature, with specified care-coordination functions dependent on legislative funding.

Public schools must train trafficking prevention staff

Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, Louisiana public school boards must adopt policies to identify and report trafficking victims. Each public school, including charter schools, must designate at least one counselor, mental-health professional, or administrator for annual advanced training. Training can be live and in person or online. It must cover trafficking definitions and types, warning signs, identification barriers and best practices, mandatory reporting, and Louisiana services. The education department and Governor’s Office of Human Trafficking Prevention must provide information about available training materials. Schools must keep employee and training records, and boards must document and verify compliance. The school-training requirement creates no new funding source.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Rick Edmonds

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 141 • No: 0

House vote • 5/26/2026

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 96 • No: 0

House vote • 5/19/2026

Reported with amendments

Yes: 12 • No: 0

Senate vote • 5/7/2026

Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 33 yeas and 0 nays, and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 33 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 737.

    6/1/2026Senate

  2. Effective date 6/1/2026.

    6/1/2026Senate

  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, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, 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 with Legislative Bureau amendments.

    5/20/2026House

  11. Reported with amendments (12-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    5/19/2026House

  12. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.

    5/11/2026House

  13. Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 33 yeas and 0 nays, and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    5/7/2026Senate

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

    5/7/2026House

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

    5/6/2026Senate

  16. Reported with amendments.

    5/5/2026Senate

  17. Read by title. Committee amendments read and adopted; ordered engrossed and recommitted to the Committee on Finance.

    4/20/2026Senate

  18. Reported with amendments.

    4/15/2026Senate

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

    3/9/2026Senate

  20. Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.

    2/20/2026Senate

Bill Text

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