HB 1160 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

PHYSICIANS: Provides relative to rural physician licenses

HB 1160 amends the laws governing rural physician licenses by updating specific terminology and clarifying the requirements for obtaining such licenses. The bill modifies the definition of a medical degree and adds language to ensure that licensing determinations are both approved and adopted through established administrative processes. It also changes the conditions under which a physician can be licensed, requiring them to meet a specific set of criteria rather than a single provision. These changes directly affect doctors practicing in rural areas and the state agencies responsible for issuing their medical licenses.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Mar 31, 2026 Signed Jun 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB1160 Original HB1160 Act 879 · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was converted from a draft proposal into an enrolled act, finalizing its legal status. The core policy content regarding rural physician licensure remains largely unchanged, though the text was reorganized and renumbered during the legislative process. The final version retains the original requirements for international medical graduates, including specific education, exam, and clinical experience standards.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it continues to authorize the Louisiana Board of Medical Examiners to issue restricted rural physician licenses to international medical graduates meeting specific criteria.
TECHNICAL

The document status changed from 'ORIGINAL' draft to 'ENROLLED' Act No. 879, indicating the bill has been signed into law.

The title and purpose statement were slightly shortened by removing a redundant phrase regarding related matters.

The text was restructured and renumbered, with the definition of 'rural or medically underserved area' moved to a new subsection (B) for better organization.

The digest section, which summarizes the bill's intent, was removed as it is not part of the final legal text.

The page count was updated from four pages to three pages due to the removal of the digest and text reorganization.

Floor votes · Senate May 26, 2026 · House Apr 22, 2026

How they voted

390
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 40
May 26, 2026
D Democratic12
11 Yea 1
91% Yea
R Republican28
28 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
22
Key actions
4
Committee
4
May 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 38 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 21, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 20, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
Apr 22, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Apr 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (10-0).
lower
Apr 1, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Michael Echols
Michael Echols
RRepublican
LA
14