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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana Enacts House Bill 1 Approving Operating Expenses for Fiscal Year 2026-2027
Last action · June 18, 2026: Effective date: 07/01/2026.Sponsor: Jack McFarland
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What This Bill Does
Louisiana lawmakers passed House Bill 1, establishing the annual operating budget and appropriations for the executive branch of state government, public schools, roads, and state institutions for 2026-2027. The measure sets spending levels across state agencies and prohibits the use of appropriated funds for mandatory contact tracing programs.
Determines funding levels, service capacities, and operational rules for state agencies, public higher education, health programs, and local government aid across Louisiana for the upcoming .
- House Bill 1 is the primary annual appropriations measure through which the Louisiana Legislature funds state government operations, public education, and public works. 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.
state agencies
State agencies receive operating expense allocations and must adhere to expenditure limits and reporting requirements set forth in the Act.
public school systems
Public school systems receive funding allocations through mechanisms such as the Minimum Foundation Program.
state employees
State employees are impacted by provisions regarding health insurance premium allocations, retirement system adjustments, and optional wellness programs.
Key Facts
- Appropriates funds for the ordinary operating expenses of the executive branch of state government for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 beginning July 1, 2026.
- Prohibits any appropriated funds or mid-year budget adjustments (BA-7) from being used for a contact tracing program that mandates participation by individuals or business entities.
- Authorizes the governor to reduce appropriations if the official budget status report indicates that appropriations will exceed the official revenue forecast.
- Requires agencies contracting with outside legal counsel for litigation against another agency to submit detailed quarterly reports of litigation costs.
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- Permits agencies to use a portion of appropriations for salaries and related benefits for smoking cessation wellness programs for state employees.
- Allocates specific funding for public school systems through the Minimum Foundation Program and nonpublic educational assistance.
- Authorizes the commissioner of administration to adjust performance objectives and indicators to reflect appropriated funds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary purpose of House Bill No. 1?
When does the budget act take effect?
Does the bill restrict the use of funds for contact tracing?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Bias ratings based on AllSides / Media Bias/Fact Check
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law with line-item vetoes.
Procedural history
24 actions- Jun 18, 2026HouseEnrolledSigned by the Governor with one or more line-item vetoes. Becomes Act No. 3.
- Jun 18, 2026HouseEffective date: 07/01/2026.
- Jun 1, 2026SenateEnrolledSigned by the President of the Senate.
- Jun 1, 2026HouseSent to the Governor for executive approval.
- May 31, 2026HouseEnrolledEnrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- May 29, 2026HouseCalled from the calendar.
Show 18 earlier actions
- May 29, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, returned to the calendar.
- May 29, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, roll called, yeas 101, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
- May 27, 2026HouseScheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.
- May 26, 2026SenateFloorRules 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.
- May 26, 2026HouseReceived from the Senate with amendments.
- May 25, 2026SenateIntroducedRead by title; made Special Order of the Day No. 1 for 5/26.
- May 21, 2026SenateFloorRules suspended. Reported with amendments. Rules suspended. Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 21, 2026SenateFloorReported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
- Apr 21, 2026SenateCommitteeRead second time by title and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Apr 20, 2026SenateReceived in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
- Apr 16, 2026HouseFloorRead third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 104, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
- Apr 14, 2026HouseFloorRead by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
- Apr 14, 2026HouseMade Special Order of the day No. 1 for 04/16/2026.
- Apr 13, 2026HouseReported with amendments (18-0).
- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
- Feb 20, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 20, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Appropriations.
- Feb 20, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.
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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Contact Tracing Funding Ban
The bill explicitly restricts the deployment of state funds for any mandatory contact tracing program.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.legis.la.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance100How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz60Current news / social attention level
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