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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana grants parishes, sewerage districts, and waterworks districts lien privileges for unpaid multifamily utility fees
Last action · May 29, 2026: Effective date: 08/01/2026.Sponsor: Rodney Lyons
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What This Bill Does
Parishes, sewerage districts, and waterworks districts gain legal to secure unpaid water and sewer service charges against master-metered multifamily residential properties, effective August 1, 2026.
Multifamily property owners face potential property liens if water or sewer bills tied to a master meter remain unpaid after a 30-day written demand.
- House Bill 990 was passed during the 2026 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature and signed into law as Act 575. context
- Prior Louisiana law permitted only municipal governing authorities to secure utility privileges against certain properties, omitting various special districts and parishes. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Owners of multifamily residential properties
Property owners are subject to written demand notices and potential mortgage record liens if water or sewer service charges associated with master meters go unpaid.
Parishes, sewerage districts, and waterworks districts
These local governing bodies gain the legal authority to file sworn statements of privilege against properties to secure past-due utility fees.
Key Facts
- Parishes, municipalities, sewerage districts, and waterworks districts are granted a legal privilege against multifamily residential properties for unpaid sewage disposal or water system service charges.
- The privilege applies exclusively to multifamily residential properties utilizing a master meter service agreement measuring total usage for the entire property or multiple units.
- Multifamily residential property is defined as immovable property consisting of more than four dwelling units occupied by persons other than the owner.
- Before filing a statement of privilege, the local authority must issue a written demand for payment to the property owner.
Show all 8 facts
- Property owners have thirty days following written demand to deliver payment for the amount owed.
- After the 30-day period expires without full payment, the local authority may file a sworn detailed statement of privilege in the parish mortgage records.
- The filed privilege secures unpaid service charges, user fees, and interest at the legal interest rate accruing from the due date.
- The effective date of the act is August 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of properties are subject to these utility privilege liens?
How much time does a property owner have to pay past-due utility charges after receiving notice?
What local entities are newly empowered to secure unpaid utility service charges?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
18 actions- May 29, 2026HouseEnrolledSigned by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 575.
- May 29, 2026HouseEffective date: 08/01/2026.
- May 26, 2026HouseSent to the Governor for executive approval.
- May 25, 2026HouseReceived from the Senate without amendments.
- May 25, 2026HouseEnrolledEnrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- May 25, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by the President of the Senate.
Show 12 earlier actions
- May 21, 2026SenateFloorRules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 1 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
- May 13, 2026SenateFloorReported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
- May 12, 2026SenateIntroducedRead by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 11, 2026SenateCommitteeReported favorably.
- Apr 28, 2026SenateCommitteeRead second time by title and referred to the Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs.
- Apr 27, 2026SenateReceived in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
- Apr 23, 2026HouseFloorRead third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
- Apr 22, 2026HouseScheduled for floor debate on 04/23/2026.
- Apr 21, 2026HouseFloorRead by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
- Apr 20, 2026HouseCommitteeReported favorably (12-0).
- Mar 24, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural 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.
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Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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