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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana Bill Allows Local Governments to Use Official Websites as Official Journals
Last action · March 24, 2026: Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.Sponsor: Kathy Edmonston
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 997 authorizes police juries, city and parish councils, municipal corporations, school boards, and special districts to choose their official website instead of a printed newspaper as their . s that select their website may optionally continue publishing official proceedings and notices in a newspaper. Local bodies must submit the web address of their official journal to the secretary of state.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Local political subdivisions
Governing bodies gain the option to designate their official website as their official journal instead of being restricted to printed newspapers.
Local newspapers
Newspapers may see a decrease in mandatory public notice publication revenue if local bodies choose website-only publication.
Key Facts
- Police juries, city and parish councils, municipal corporations, and school boards may select a newspaper or an official website as their official journal for a one-year term at their first meeting in June.
- If a local governing body or special district selects its official website as its official journal, it may also choose to publish copies of official proceedings and public notices in a newspaper.
- Municipal corporations selecting a newspaper as an official journal must choose one with an office physically located within municipal boundaries, or within the parish if none is located inside the municipality.
- Parishes, municipalities, and school boards must file the name, address, or web address of their official journal, effective date, and selection period with the secretary of state at least 30 days after making any change.
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- Levee, drainage, subdrainage, road, subroad, navigation, and sewerage districts, and other political subdivisions, are granted the same authority to select either a newspaper or their official website as their official journal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a local school board or city council use its website instead of a newspaper for public notices?
What information must be provided to the state if a local government changes its official journal?
What else do you want to know?
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Mar 24, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
- Mar 23, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title. Lies over under the rules.
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 40)
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz10Current news / social attention level
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