HB 512 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

AGRICULTURE/MEAT: Provides relative to cell cultured food products

HB 512 prohibits the sale, manufacturing, and distribution of cell cultured food products (lab-grown meat alternatives) within Louisiana. It defines these products as cultured animal tissue grown outside the original organism and bans their sale or mixing with traditional meat products. The bill directly affects food producers, distributors, and retailers selling these products in the state. Violations could lead to penalties under Louisiana's meat inspection laws. The legislation takes effect upon enactment, pending further legislative action.

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

May 2026

Introduced Feb 26, 2026 Signed May 29, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB512 Original → HB512 Act 555 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a draft version to an enrolled Act (No. 555) and signed into law. It adds a new prohibition against mixing cell-cultured food products with meat products and expands the list of prohibited actions in the violations section. Crucially, it includes a sunset clause that makes the entire ban on cell-cultured foods temporary, pending a Supreme Court ruling on their constitutionality.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly ban mixing cell-cultured products with meat products, and its applicability was limited by a constitutional challenge provision that could void the ban if the products are ruled legal.

REQUIREMENT

Added a specific prohibition against mixing cell-cultured food products with meat products, banning their sale as food for human consumption.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'cell cultured food product' to clarify that it refers to cultured animal tissue produced outside the organism.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified the violations section to include the new mixing prohibition and renumbered existing prohibited actions to accommodate the new text.

TIMELINE

Added a provision stating the ban only remains in effect until the U.S. Supreme Court rules that cell-cultured food products do not violate the Constitution.

ELIGIBILITY

Added an exemption allowing accredited institutions of higher education to conduct research on cell-cultured food products regardless of the ban.

TECHNICAL

Changed the document status from 'Original' bill to 'Enrolled' Act and updated the list of sponsoring representatives.

Floor votes · Senate May 21, 2026 · House May 5, 2026

How they voted

36–0

Passed · 4 other

Total votes 40

May 21, 2026

D Democratic12

11 Yea 1

91% 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 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

upper

May 13, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

May 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

May 5, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 100, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Apr 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (14-0).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development.

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development.

lower

1 primary · 6 co-sponsors