ARCHITECTS: Provides relative to professional engineering and land surveying
HB 387 allows Louisiana architects to perform minor engineering tasks directly related to their architectural work, such as basic electrical, mechanical, or structural adjustments for renovations or small additions. This applies only when the engineering work is secondary in scope to the architectural design (e.g., minor system changes without major recalculations) and limited to site work within five feet of a building’s foundation. Architects must ensure this work is performed safely without endangering public welfare, and it does not replace the need for licensed engineers on larger or more complex projects. The bill clarifies that architects cannot engage in full engineering practice, maintaining separate licensing requirements for major engineering work.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Feb 25, 2026
Signed Jun 8, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB387 Original
→
HB387 Act 798
·
3 edits
MINOR
This bill converts the original draft into an enacted law by adding official signatures and removing the legislative digest. It retains the core policy allowing architects to perform minor, incidental engineering work (like small site adjustments) without a licensed engineer, provided the engineering work is secondary to the architectural design. The bill also keeps the requirement for the state fire marshal to issue a compliance letter if plans do not meet code standards, unless the plans were submitted in violation of specific architectural laws.
Scope change
The scope of the enacted law remains identical to the original draft; no substantive policy changes were made to the rules governing architects or fire marshal procedures.
TECHNICAL
Removed the legislative digest, abstract, and explanatory notes that were present in the original draft but are not part of the final law.
Added official signatures from the Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and Governor, along with the text "ENROLLED" and "ACT No. 798" to signify the bill has become law.
Adjusted line numbers and page headers to reflect the final enrolled version, which is now a single page instead of three.
Floor votes · Senate May 26, 2026 · House May 7, 2026
How they voted
39–0
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
May 26, 2026
D
Democratic12
91% Yea
R
Republican28
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
20
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 38 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 21, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
May 7, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 93, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
May 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (12-0).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Commerce.
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Commerce.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Foy Gadberry
RRepublican
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