HB 218: SCHOOLS: Requires the inclusion of questions pertaining to food insecurity on a residency questionnaire administered to public school students (EN NO IMPACT See Note) - Louisiana

HB218 Original → HB218 Act 628 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill was enacted into law as Act 628, shifting the focus from requiring schools to administer their own food insecurity screenings to requiring the state Department of Education to include food insecurity questions on the federal residency questionnaire. The law also adds a liability protection clause for school boards and employees, ensuring they cannot be sued for damages resulting from their handling of this information unless misconduct is proven.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a school-administered screening program to a state-managed questionnaire component. Additionally, the law now explicitly applies to charter schools by adding the new requirement to the list of exemptions in the charter school statute.

REQUIREMENT

Replaced the requirement for schools to administer a separate screening tool with a requirement for the state Department of Education to include food insecurity questions on the existing federal residency questionnaire.

Added a specific limitation of liability provision stating that school boards and employees are not liable for damages arising from their actions regarding this questionnaire unless willful or wanton misconduct occurs.

Changed the referral process to require schools to provide information on federal, state, and community resources directly to the student if they are an emancipated minor or have reached the age of majority.

SCOPE

Explicitly included charter schools in the application of the new food insecurity requirements by adding a new subsection to the charter school exemption statute.

HB218 Enrolled → HB218 Original · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill shifts the responsibility for food insecurity screenings from the state Department of Education to local school boards, requiring them to establish their own programs. The changes mandate that screenings occur when students first enroll and once per semester, with specific protocols for referrals to community resources and strict confidentiality rules. Additionally, the bill updates the legal exemptions for charter schools to explicitly include these new screening requirements.

Scope change

Responsibility for administering food insecurity screenings moved from the state to local school boards, and the program now explicitly includes school-based health clinics.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the administering body from the state Department of Education to local city, parish, and school boards.

Added a requirement to administer screenings once during each semester of enrollment, in addition to initial enrollment.

Added a requirement to incorporate the screening tool into assessments when students visit school-based health clinics.

Expanded the list of resources schools must provide to families to include public assistance applications and local social services.

Added a new requirement for the state Department of Education to select a standardized, free screening tool and provide access information to all school boards.

ENFORCEMENT

Updated charter school exemptions to explicitly include the new food insecurity screening program requirements.

HB218 Reengrossed → HB218 Enrolled · 4 edits · May 31, 2026

MODERATE

This bill was finalized as an enrolled version, adding new sponsors and removing the legislative digest. The core policy regarding food insecurity questionnaires remains unchanged, but the text was reorganized to clarify that resource information must be compiled by the Department of Health and provided to schools at no cost.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on public schools and charter schools, with no changes to the specific eligibility criteria for students or the frequency of questionnaire distribution.

TECHNICAL

New sponsors (Boyd, Brass, Chassion, Echols, Fisher, Freeman, Green, Dana Henry, Jackson, Mike Johnson, Jordan, Knox, Terry Landry, Larvadin, Lyons, Marcelle, Murray, Walters, and Young) were added to the list of authors.

The legislative digest, which previously summarized the bill's purpose and proposed law, was removed from the final enrolled version.

REQUIREMENT

The text was restructured to explicitly state that the Louisiana Department of Health must compile resource information and provide it to schools at no cost, replacing a previous structure that split these requirements across different subsections.

The distribution requirements were clarified to mandate that questionnaires be distributed annually to all students in grades K-12 upon enrollment, address changes, or reasonable suspicion of food insecurity.

HB218 Engrossed → HB218 Reengrossed · 2 edits · May 25, 2026

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to add a new requirement for the Legislative Reference Bureau (LDH) to compile and provide free lists of food insecurity resources to schools. Additionally, a minor formatting correction was made to clarify that the questionnaire must be provided to students who are classified as economically disadvantaged.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a new administrative duty for the state to supply resource information to schools at no cost.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new provision requiring the Legislative Reference Bureau (LDH) to compile information on federal, state, and community resources for food insecurity and provide this information to every school at no cost.

DEFINITION

Clarified that the residency questionnaire must be provided to each student who is specifically classified as economically disadvantaged by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

SCHOOLS: Requires the inclusion of questions pertaining to food insecurity on a residency questionnaire administered to public school students (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

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