2026 Louisiana End of Legislative Session Report

Community Associations Institute (CAI) advocates across Louisiana spent the 2026 legislative session advocating on behalf of approximately 170,000 Louisianians who live in 67,000 homes in more than 2,200 community associations.

Legislative Overview

The 2026 Louisiana Regular Legislative Session convened on March 9 and adjourned on June 1. In order to be considered, legislation needed to be introduced by March 31, 2026. During even-numbered years (like 2026), the legislature operates in general sessions that meet for up to 60 legislative days within an 85-day period. In comparison, during odd-numbered years, sessions with limited jurisdiction meet for up to 45 legislative days within a 60-day period. Special/veto sessions also can be called by the governor or by a majority of lawmakers to address specific, urgent matters or to review the governor’s vetoes. Learn more about how laws are created in Louisiana.

CAI tracked nearly 30 bills in Louisiana this session, and worked with the Louisiana CAI Chapter in Organization as well as the CAI Louisiana Legislative Task Force to directly advocate on those with potential implications on the community association industry. Below are the highlights:

Priority Legislation

CAI and its Legislative Action Committees (LACs) support legislation that aligns with CAI’s public policy positions and oppose legislation that does not. If a LAC believes it may need to consider or adopt any legislative or regulatory position that would conflict with these official positions, it must submit a request for a deviation to be considered by CAI’s Government & Public Affairs Committee and/or Board of Trustees.

HB 817 – Establishes the Louisiana Homeowner Bill of Rights

CAI and advocates across Louisiana strongly opposed this legislation, which was introduced theoretically to provide clear protections and guidelines for community associations throughout the Bayou State. The bill actually would have done the exact opposite by imposing unnecessary, redundant, and burdensome mandates on homeowners and communities. This harmful legislation represented a vast legislative overreach which mandates a one-size-fits-all approach that will harm homeowners and community associations across Louisiana,

As drafted, House Bill 817 would have imposed sweeping, impractical, and costly mandates on community associations without addressing how compliance would work. The bill sought to create burdensome administrative actions for community association, such as retroactively amending governing documents, duplicative recordkeeping, and unnecessary reporting, which would have increased costs for homeowners. The bill also would have shifted responsibilities for tracking sales of homes onto associations instead of sellers and new homeowners. CAI had concerns with the following potential impacts of the bill:

• Burdensome mandates on governing documents: Required retroactive amendments to governing documents that are often very difficult to achieve due to high homeowner approval thresholds.
• Duplicative administrative and technology requirements: Imposed unnecessary website and online portal requirements, with notice and reporting obligations that are duplicative, increasing costs without clear benefit.
• Unfair burden on associations: Shifted certain responsibilities, such as tracking ownership changes and distributing documents, from buyers and sellers to associations, without any requirement for buyers or sellers to notify the association of changes.
• Excessive and redundant recordkeeping: Required duplicative document retention mandates and allows unrestricted inspection and copying of documents without regard for costs or logistics.
• Rigid and impractical governance structures: Imposed mandates on board size and meeting procedures that conflict with existing governance structures and real-world operations, while failing to distinguish between board and member meetings. These requirements will be especially challenging for small communities.
• Premature developer control restrictions: Forced early homeowner involvement, potentially limiting developer authority and undermining financial stability.
• Confusing and conflicting contracting requirements: Imposed conflicting rules and thresholds for contract bidding which could delay services, increase costs, and undermine relationships with existing vendors.
• Destabilizing financial controls: Established vague mandates regarding budgeting, disposition of surplus funds, fines and dues allocation mandates which will weaken association finances.
• Weakens enforcement authority: By restricting liens, fines, and foreclosure tools, the bill will undermine an association’s ability to ensure compliance with rules and maintain financial stability.

After the legislative session began, CAI messaged its advocates across Louisiana to encourage them to add their name to a list of concerned constituents who opposed HB 817. A total of 110 advocates added their names to this list. Then, in early April when the bill was scheduled for a committee hearing, CAI launched a grassroots advocacy campaign, asking advocates to contact the Louisiana House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure to express opposition to the bill. As a result, 15 advocates sent a total of 180 messages to the committee to urge opposition. Notably, 12 of these advocates (80%) were first-time advocates who had not previously engaged with a CAI advocacy campaign.

Largely as a result of CAI’s grassroots advocacy efforts, the bill’s sponsor Rep. Dixon McMakin announced his decision not to move the bill during the 2026 legislative session. He plans to continue conversations in the coming months to work on concepts he plans to introduce during the next legislative session.

Status: Bill successfully died.

CAI MONITORED THE BELOW BILLS

CAI LACs monitor legislation with the potential to impact those living and working in community associations across their state, as well as legislation that may indirectly or unintentionally impact community associations.

SB 398 – Provides Relative to the Regulation of Manufactured Housing

CAI monitored this legislation, which seeks to regulate manufactured and modular housing by establishing revised licensing requirements, construction standards, and warranties in Louisiana. For HOAs, this means that local HOA rules or covenants regarding construction or installation standards for manufactured and modular homes would be preempted because only state codes and standards set by this law would apply. Under this legislation, associations would not be permitted to impose additional construction or installation requirements beyond what is set forth in the bill.

Status: Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 765. Effective date 1/1/2027.

HB 1166 – Requires Property Disclosures for Vacant Residential Property

CAI monitored this legislation, which would mandate property disclosures for both residential and vacant residential properties, requiring sellers to provide a standardized property disclosure document outlining known defects. This bill would directly impact homeowners’ associations by requiring property disclosure forms on transfers of both residential and vacant residential property. Under this bill, sellers must disclose whether a property is subject to an HOA or restrictive covenants as part of the property disclosure statement. Potential buyers of property must receive explicit notification if the property requires HOA membership or is under a regime of restrictions.

Status: Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 708. Effective date: 01/01/2027.

Get Involved in CAI’s Advocacy Work Through Your Local Chapter!

In addition to strong and effective advocacy work in Rouge, CAI’s Louisiana Chapter in Organization provides information, resources, education programs and best practices designed to help you and your communities throughout the state thrive. Incorporated in 2023, the Louisiana Chapter has almost 100 members.

Not a member yet? Join a growing global network of more than 51,000 community managers, management company executives, homeowner leaders, and business partners, and open up a world of opportunities for professional growth, networking and industry knowledge. Learn more and join today at https://www.caionline.org/find-a-chapter/.