HB 457 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

HOMELESS: Establishes minimum housing standards for individuals experiencing homelessness (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX See Note)

HB 457 establishes minimum housing standards for emergency shelters, community facilities, group homes, and halfway houses serving individuals experiencing homelessness in Louisiana. The Louisiana Department of Health must create rules covering safety, sanitation, privacy, and habitability for these facilities, in consultation with the state fire marshal. The fire marshal will conduct annual inspections to ensure these housing options meet safety and sanitation standards. Additionally, the Department of Health must seek federal waivers to secure healthcare funding for homeless individuals receiving these services. The bill directly affects homeless service providers and the housing conditions they offer.
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 26, 2026 Signed Jun 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB457 Original HB457 Act 805 · 6 edits
MODERATE
The bill was updated from an original draft to its final enrolled version, expanding the list of sponsors and refining the legal text to include new definitions and specific exemptions. The most significant policy change is the addition of a detailed definition for 'homeless facility' that explicitly excludes private residences, places of worship, substance abuse recovery programs, and emergency shelters for hurricane victims, ensuring these entities are not subject to the new housing standards.
Scope change
The scope of the bill was narrowed regarding which facilities must comply with the new standards by adding specific exemptions for religious organizations, private homes, and certain recovery and correctional facilities.
DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'homelessness' to clarify it means lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

Added a new definition for 'homeless facility' to list specific types of buildings that provide overnight lodging to homeless individuals.

ELIGIBILITY

Added exemptions for private residences, places of worship, charitable substance abuse recovery programs, hurricane emergency housing, and correctional work-release facilities from the new rules.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the state fire marshal's role from 'shall assist' to 'may assist' in conducting inspections, giving the office more discretion.

Added a requirement that the minimum housing standards must consider safety, sanitation, privacy, and habitability.

FISCAL

Changed the requirement for the Department of Health to 'submit waivers' to 'examine the feasibility' of submitting waivers, making the action less mandatory.

Floor votes · Senate May 26, 2026 · House May 5, 2026

How they voted

390
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
May 26, 2026
D Democratic12
11 Yea 1
91% Yea
R Republican28
28 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
26
Key actions
6
Committee
7
May 29, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read by title, roll called, yeas 95, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
lower
May 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. 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
Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported with amendments.
upper
May 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 102, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Apr 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (19-0).
lower
Apr 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on Appropriations.
lower
Apr 8, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (8-2-1).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
lower
1 primary · 33 co-sponsors

Sponsors