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HB 218LOUISIANASession 2026State BillSigned into law

Enacted

Louisiana requires public schools to add food insecurity questions to student residency questionnaires under Act 628

Original title: SCHOOLS: Requires the inclusion of questions pertaining to food insecurity on a residency questionnaire administered to public school students (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

Last action · June 2, 2026: Effective date: 08/01/2026.Sponsors: Vanessa Caston LaFleur and 25 others

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What This Bill Does

Louisiana public schools must now include food insecurity questions on student residency questionnaires and provide resource information to families identified as at-risk, effective August 1, 2026. Under Act 628, schools must distribute the questionnaire annually in grades kindergarten through twelve upon enrollment, change of address, or reasonable suspicion. Responses remain confidential and cannot be used for academic or disciplinary decisions.

Why it matters

Families with students in Louisiana public schools will be surveyed about access to adequate food, and those showing risk will receive direct information on federal, state, and community food resources without affecting student discipline or academic standing.

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

public school students in grades kindergarten through twelve

Students will receive food insecurity residency questionnaires upon enrollment, address changes, or reasonable suspicion.

Directly affected

parents and legal guardians

Parents or legal guardians of at-risk students will receive information on federal, state, and community food and social services.

Directly affected

charter schools

Charter schools are newly mandated to comply with the food insecurity residency questionnaire requirements despite general exemptions.

Directly affected

school employees

School staff are prohibited from using responses for academic or disciplinary decisions and are protected by limited civil liability.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will public schools distribute the food insecurity questionnaire?

Schools must distribute the questionnaire annually to students in grades K-12 upon enrollment, upon a change of address, and whenever there is a reasonable suspicion of food insecurity by school personnel or school-based health clinics.

Can school staff use my child's questionnaire answers to affect their grades or discipline?

No. School employees are strictly prohibited from using questionnaire responses to make decisions related to student instruction, academic opportunities, or discipline.

Who has access to the questionnaire responses?

Responses remain confidential and may only be disclosed to the student's parent or legal guardian, the student if they have reached the age of majority or are an , and authorized school personnel responsible for providing resource information.

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. 628.
Jun 2, 2026House
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
Jun 1, 2026SenateEnrolled
Signed by the President of the Senate.
Jun 1, 2026House
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
May 31, 2026HouseEnrolled
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
May 29, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read by title, roll called, yeas 93, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.

Show 16 earlier actions

May 27, 2026House
Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.
May 26, 2026House
Received from the Senate with amendments.
May 25, 2026SenateFloor
Rules suspended. The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
May 20, 2026SenateFloor
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
May 19, 2026SenateFloor
Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
May 18, 2026Senate
Reported with amendments.
Apr 7, 2026SenateCommittee
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.
Apr 1, 2026Senate
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
Mar 31, 2026HouseFloor
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 91, nays 8. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
Mar 30, 2026House
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/31/2026.
Mar 26, 2026HouseFloor
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
Mar 25, 2026House
Reported with amendments (12-0).
Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.
Feb 20, 2026House
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.
Feb 19, 2026House
Prefiled.
Feb 19, 2026HouseCommittee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.

Version history

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