HB 194 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

LIABILITY: Provides relative to peremptive periods

HB 194 sets a 5-year time limit for filing lawsuits against architects, engineers, interior designers, and real estate developers in Louisiana related to construction, design, or development plans. The deadline starts from one of three specific dates: when the owner officially accepts the work (recorded at the mortgage office), when the owner takes possession of the improvement (with a 6-month fallback if not recorded), or when the service provider completes their work (if not preparatory to construction). This bill directly affects property owners who might sue these professionals and the professionals themselves by clarifying when legal claims must be filed. It modifies existing law to standardize these deadlines without changing the types of claims allowed.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Feb 18, 2026 Signed May 15, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

Senate Floor Bureau Note, #2769, Miller, G., Adopted → HB194 Act · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill amends the statute governing the statute of limitations for lawsuits against engineers, architects, and developers. It clarifies the five-year time limit for filing claims, specifically defining when the clock starts based on project acceptance, occupancy, or service completion, while removing redundant language about 'movable' planning.

Scope change

The bill refines the scope of the statute of limitations by removing ambiguous references to 'movable' planning and clarifying the specific triggers for the five-year filing deadline.

TIMELINE

Removed the phrase 'movable or immovable planning' from the scope of covered projects to eliminate ambiguity about what types of planning are subject to the law.

Reorganized and clarified the three specific dates that start the five-year statute of limitations clock: (1) formal acceptance of work, (2) owner occupancy if no acceptance is recorded, and (3) completion of services for non-construction or non-inspection roles.

TECHNICAL

Deleted the word 'thus' from the original Senate floor amendments text, which was a minor editorial correction.

Floor votes · Senate May 5, 2026 · House Apr 7, 2026

How they voted

34–0

Passed · 6 other

Total votes 40

May 5, 2026

D Democratic12

9 Yea 3

75% Yea

R Republican28

25 Yea 3

89% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read by title, roll called, yeas 96, nays 1, Senate amendments concurred in.

lower

May 5, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 34 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

upper

Apr 22, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

Apr 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Apr 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 89, nays 8. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably (6-0-1).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

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

lower

Feb 18, 2026

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor