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Read. Follow. Verify.Louisiana requires water, gas, and electric utilities to refund overcharges within 90 days
Last action · May 29, 2026: Effective date: 08/01/2026.Sponsors: Alonzo Knox and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
Water, gas, and electric utility providers in Louisiana must fully reimburse customers for any s within 90 calendar days of discovery, and send refunds to former customers at their last known address within the same timeframe. The payments must be clearly labeled as an overcharge reimbursement unless the utility's regulator orders otherwise.
Utility customers who have been billed above lawful rates gain a mandatory timeline and explicit labeling requirements for recovering their funds, applying to both current and former accounts.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
utility providers
Water, gas, and electric utility providers must issue full refunds for billing overcharges within 90 days and apply specific labeling to those payments.
customers
Current and former utility customers are entitled to receive full reimbursements for overcharges within 90 days of discovery.
Key Facts
- Regulated, local government, and locally owned or operated water, gas, and electric utility providers must reimburse customers for any amount billed in excess of the lawful rate or tariff.
- Reimbursements must be paid in full within ninety calendar days after the overcharge is discovered or reasonably should have been discovered.
- If a customer has ended service, the utility must send the reimbursement to the customer's last known address within ninety calendar days.
- Reimbursements must be labeled as an overcharge reimbursement or similar description, unless otherwise ordered by the utility's regulator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who does this overcharge reimbursement rule apply to?
What happens if a customer is no longer receiving service from the utility?
How must the refund be identified on the payment?
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
22 actions- May 29, 2026HouseEnrolledSigned by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 553.
- 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 16 earlier actions
- May 21, 2026SenateFloorRules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 34 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
- May 18, 2026SenateFloorReported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
- May 14, 2026SenateIntroducedRead by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 13, 2026SenateCommitteeReported favorably.
- Apr 29, 2026SenateCommitteeRead second time by title and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs.
- Apr 28, 2026SenateReceived in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
- Apr 27, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, returned to the calendar.
- Apr 27, 2026HouseCalled from the calendar.
- Apr 27, 2026HouseFloorRead third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 101, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
- Apr 23, 2026HouseScheduled for floor debate on 04/27/2026.
- Apr 22, 2026HouseFloorRead by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
- Apr 21, 2026HouseReported with amendments (15-0).
- Mar 9, 2026HouseIntroducedRead by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Commerce.
- Feb 27, 2026HouseFirst appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
- Feb 26, 2026HousePrefiled.
- Feb 26, 2026HouseCommitteeUnder the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Commerce.
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- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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