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HB 584LOUISIANASession 2026State BillSigned into law

Enacted

Louisiana bans garbage bags for foster youth moves and expands Bill of Rights to all children from birth

Original title: CHILDREN/FOSTER CARE: Provides relative to children in foster care (EN +$11,125 EX See Note)

Last action · June 2, 2026: Effective date: 08/01/2026.Sponsors: Delisha Boyd and 49 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

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What This Bill Does

Act 655 expands the to apply to all children from birth through age eighteen and explicitly prohibits the use of garbage bags for moving between foster homes, requiring proper luggage instead. The measure took effect on August 1, 2026.

Why it matters

Local social services districts and host families now face explicit statutory duties to provide durable luggage and host biennial donation drives, establishing enforceable standards for children transitioning between placements.

Background

House Bill 584 was passed during the 2026 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature and signed into law as Act 655. context
Delisha Boyd serves as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives representing District 102. 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.

Directly affected

Children in foster care

Their statutory rights are expanded to cover all ages from birth through eighteen, and they are guaranteed proper luggage, safe transportation, and family placement options.

Directly affected

Local social services districts

They are assigned the legal responsibility to provide proper luggage to foster children and to host biennial luggage donation drives.

Directly affected

Host families

They must ensure that the luggage provided by the Department of Children and Family Services remains with each child across moves.

Key Facts

The Foster Youth's Children's Bill of Rights is expanded to cover all children from birth through age eighteen, changing the prior age threshold of fourteen.
The use of garbage bags to move foster children between homes is strictly prohibited.
Local social services districts must provide foster children with proper luggage, defined as durable and reusable containers in new or like-new condition such as backpacks, boxes, duffel bags, or suitcases.
Local social services districts and the Department of Children and Family Services must host biennial luggage donation drives.

Show all 8 facts

Host families are responsible for ensuring that the luggage provided by the department remains with each child during transitions.
Foster children have the right to reliable and safe transportation, including necessary age-appropriate car restraint systems as required by R.S. 32:295.
Foster children have the right to be placed with a suitable family member or other suitable individual when identified and capable of safe care.
Children in foster care retain rights regarding privacy, stable settings free from abuse, participation in case plans, medical and mental health care, and educational access including computers and internet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age group does the expanded Bill of Rights cover?

The Bill of Rights now covers children from birth through age eighteen in foster care.

What types of containers are permitted for moving foster children?

Proper luggage is required, which includes durable and reusable containers in new or like-new condition such as backpacks, boxes, duffel bags, and suitcases. Garbage bags are strictly prohibited.

Who is responsible for providing the luggage to foster children?

Local social services districts are responsible for providing proper luggage, and they must host biennial donation drives alongside the Department of Children and Family Services.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

22 actions

Jun 2, 2026HouseEnrolled
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 655.
Jun 2, 2026House
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
May 28, 2026House
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
May 27, 2026HouseEnrolled
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
May 27, 2026SenateEnrolled
Signed by the President of the Senate.
May 26, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read by title, roll called, yeas 96, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.

Show 16 earlier actions

May 25, 2026House
Scheduled for concurrence on 05/26/2026.
May 19, 2026House
Received from the Senate with amendments.
May 18, 2026SenateFloor
Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
May 11, 2026SenateFloor
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
May 7, 2026SenateFloor
Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
May 6, 2026Senate
Reported with amendments.
Apr 1, 2026SenateCommittee
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
Mar 31, 2026Senate
Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
Mar 30, 2026HouseFloor
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 100, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
Mar 26, 2026House
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/30/2026.
Mar 25, 2026HouseFloor
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
Mar 24, 2026House
Reported with amendments (11-0).
Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
Feb 27, 2026House
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
Feb 26, 2026House
Prefiled.
Feb 26, 2026HouseCommittee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

Version history

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