LouisianaMayors would complete annual training and report compliance
Starting January 1, 2027, Louisiana mayors would complete yearly approved training and document compliance when their municipalities file financial statements.
What it does
Beginning January 1, 2027, mayors would complete at least 16 hours of Louisiana Municipal Association-approved training each year; council members in smaller municipalities may participate.
The Louisiana Municipal Association would organize official training across major local-government subjects, while state agencies and other groups could help provide courses and incentives.
Mayors would file yearly training attestations with municipal financial statements, while accountants would verify compliance and the legislative auditor would publish compliance lists.
Argument forRegular training could help mayors understand budgeting, ethics, emergency response, and other duties before making local decisions.
Argument againstAnnual training, accountant verification, and public compliance lists could add time and administrative work for mayors and municipalities.
More detail
Mayors must earn at least 16 hours of approved training credit each year, while some municipal council members may attend available training. The rule covers all mayors and governing-authority members of municipalities with populations of 15,000 or fewer, based on the latest federal census. The Louisiana Municipal Association must approve the training. The required hours may include training already required by state law, such as ethics, cybersecurity, procurement, and emergency preparedness courses. The requirements apply beginning January 1, 2027, and the mayor's credits are measured annually.
The Louisiana Municipal Association must establish training courses for elected officials in listed areas of municipal government. The courses cover municipal officials and must include subjects such as local authority, budgeting, ethics, public records, emergency response, utilities, land use, and financial administration. State agencies, associations, and other groups may work with the Louisiana Municipal Association to provide workshops, courses, and other resources. Those groups may offer incentives, such as continuing education credits or specialty certificates. The course-planning and resource provisions apply beginning January 1, 2027.
Each mayor must attest to meeting the training requirements, and the municipality's accountant must verify compliance. The attestation accompanies the municipality's annual financial statements, and the legislative auditor must publish a municipality-by-municipality list of compliant and noncompliant mayors. Mayors must use a form provided by the legislative auditor. The accountant's verification is part of the accountant's review or audit work. These steps apply beginning January 1, 2027, with the attestation submitted when the municipality files its annual financial statements.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jun 23Becomes Act No. 946 without the Governor's signature.Latest
- Jun 23Effective date: 01/01/2027.
- 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 98, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
- Vote recorded CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENTS (#1594). 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 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#1115). Result: pass.Upper
- May 13Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.Minor
- May 12Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 11Reported with amendments.Minor
- Apr 21Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs.Minor
- Apr 20Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.Minor
- Apr 15Read by title, returned to the calendar.
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#556). Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 15Called from the calendar.
- Apr 15Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.Passed House
- Apr 14Scheduled for floor debate on 04/15/2026.
- Apr 13Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.Minor
- Apr 9Reported with amendments (16-0).Minor
- Mar 9Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.Minor
- Feb 27First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
- Feb 25Prefiled.Minor
- Feb 25Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.Introduced
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