HB 1079: SCHOOLS/CHARTER: Authorizes certain charter schools to give enrollment preference to certain students - Louisiana

HB1079 Original → HB1079 Act 699 · 5 edits

MODERATE

HB 1079 was enacted as Act 699, formally adding a new provision to state law regarding charter school enrollment. The bill expands eligibility for enrollment preference to include students in foster care, children with court-ordered custody plans, and children of active military service members, in addition to existing preferences for those attending specific early learning centers.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from solely focusing on early learning center attendance to include a broader range of vulnerable student populations eligible for enrollment preference.

ELIGIBILITY

Added eligibility for enrollment preference for students in foster care placed through the Department of Children and Family Services.

Added eligibility for enrollment preference for students who are the subject of a court-ordered custody plan.

Added eligibility for enrollment preference for students whose parent or legal guardian is serving in active military service.

REQUIREMENT

Added a specific exception excluding charter schools in districts where the majority of schools were transferred from the local district to the Recovery School District from giving these enrollment preferences.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header and digest to reflect its final enactment status as Act 699.

HB1079 Enrolled → HB1079 Original · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends the statute governing charter schools to clarify and expand enrollment preferences for entering kindergarten students. It specifically authorizes schools to prioritize students who attended a licensed early learning center operated by the charter school or, under certain conditions, one operated by another entity. The change ensures that children who have attended qualifying preschool programs for at least 75 days and have an enrollment articulation agreement with the charter school are given priority in admissions.

Scope change

The bill modifies the scope of enrollment preferences by adding a specific category for students from licensed early learning centers, while retaining existing preferences for military families, foster care children, and court-ordered custody plan subjects.

ELIGIBILITY

Added a new eligibility category allowing charter schools to give enrollment preference to entering kindergarten students who attended a licensed early learning center operated by the charter school.

Added a provision allowing enrollment preference for students who attended a licensed early learning center not operated by the charter school, provided they attended for at least 75 days and an enrollment articulation agreement exists between the school and the center.

Removed the specific text regarding 'students in military families' and 'children in foster care' from the primary summary of the bill's purpose, though these categories appear to remain in the statutory text.

SCOPE

Updated the bill's title and abstract to focus specifically on the new early learning center enrollment preference rather than listing all previous categories of preference.

HB1079 Engrossed → HB1079 Enrolled · 3 edits · May 28, 2026

MINOR

The bill was finalized as an enrolled version, removing the draft 'engrossed' status and the legislative digest. The substantive policy content regarding charter school enrollment preferences for military, foster care, and custody students remains unchanged from the previous version.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it continues to authorize specific charter schools to prioritize enrollment for students in military families, foster care, and court-ordered custody plans.

TECHNICAL

Removed the 'Engrossed' status header and the explanatory digest text that summarized the bill's purpose and legal context.

Updated the page count footer from 'Page 1 of 3' to 'Page 1 of 2' to reflect the removal of the digest section.

Deleted the 'Summary of Amendments Adopted by House' section which previously explained how the bill was modified during the legislative process.

SCHOOLS/CHARTER: Authorizes certain charter schools to give enrollment preference to certain students

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