LouisianaLouisiana law defines sex at birth for covered legal rules
Louisiana law defines sex by observation or clinical certification at birth and requires that term in laws concerning information that identifies people.
What it does
Louisiana law defines sex as biological sex, either male or female, observed or clinically certified at birth. Gender identity cannot substitute for sex.
The Louisiana State Law Institute must replace references to gender with sex throughout state law where those references concern information that identifies a person.
The campus violence definition includes unwanted sexual or sex-based conduct that meets stated conditions. This part of the definition does not separately name gender-based conduct.
Argument forA shared definition could help Louisiana officials use the same meaning of sex when handling personal information under state law.
Argument againstPeople whose gender identity differs from their sex at birth could find that covered legal records do not reflect their identity.
More detail
Louisiana law defines sex as biological sex, either male or female, as observed or clinically certified at birth. Covered state laws use sex in personal records, board appointments, and discrimination protections, including school records and charter school admissions. Gender identity and other subjective terms cannot serve as synonyms or substitutes for sex. The law took effect on August 1, 2026.
The Louisiana State Law Institute must replace references to gender with sex in laws concerning information that identifies a person. The directive covers references in law about an individual's personally identifying information. The law took effect on August 1, 2026. It gives no separate deadline for completing these wording updates.
The campus definition of power-based violence includes certain unwanted sexual or sex-based conduct. This wording applies to the definition used in the college provisions on power-based violence. The conduct must be objectively offensive, have a discriminatory intent, and lack a legitimate academic purpose. The broader definition concerns violence intended to control or intimidate another person through power. The law took effect on August 1, 2026.
Where do you stand?
Choose your position
Tell your reps
Take a position to see your representatives and ways to contact them.
Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jun 8Signed by the Governor Jeff Landry. Becomes Act No. 814.Became Law
- Jun 8Effective date: 08/01/2026.
- Jun 1Sent to the Governor for executive approval.To Governor
- May 28Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.Minor
- May 28Signed by the President of the Senate.
- May 27Read by title, roll called, yeas 70, nays 25, Senate amendments concurred in.
- Vote recorded CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENTS (#1597). Result: pass.Lower
- May 26Scheduled for concurrence on 05/27/2026.
- May 25Received from the Senate with amendments.Minor
- May 21Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 27 yeas and 8 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#1141). Result: pass.Upper
- May 14Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.Minor
- May 13Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 12Reported favorably.Minor
- May 4Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary A.Minor
- Apr 29Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.Minor
- Apr 28Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 74, nays 21. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.Passed House
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#774). Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 23Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.Minor
- Apr 23Scheduled for floor debate on 04/28/2026.
- Apr 22Reported with amendments (6-1-1).Minor
- Mar 9Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.Minor
- Feb 27First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
- Feb 26Prefiled.Minor
- Feb 26Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.Introduced
Civil Rights & VotingGovernment & EthicsEducation