HB 117 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

SUNSET LAW: Re-creates the Department of State and the statutory entities made a part of the department by law

HB 117 re-creates Louisiana's Department of State and all state agencies legally part of it, effective June 30, 2026. It sets a fixed expiration date of July 1, 2033, for all statutory authority governing these entities, meaning they must cease operations by that date unless re-created earlier under specific procedures. The bill repeals conflicting existing provisions and updates the sunset schedule to reflect this 7-year term for the department and its associated agencies.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Feb 13, 2026 Signed May 11, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB117 Original → HB117 Act · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill re-enacts the Department of State and its associated statutory entities, extending their operational lifespan by six years. The primary change is the new sunset date, shifting the termination of the department's authority from July 1, 2027, to July 1, 2033. The bill also formally repeals a specific section of the existing sunset law that previously required separate bills to re-create each entity within the department.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of the sunset law by extending the duration of the Department of State and its entities by six years and simplifies the legislative process by removing the requirement for separate re-creation bills for each entity.

TIMELINE

The termination date for the Department of State and its statutory entities was extended from July 1, 2027, to July 1, 2033.

REQUIREMENT

A new provision was added stating that the existing sunset law provisions are superseded if they conflict with this Act.

The requirement to pass separate bills to re-create each statutory entity within the Department of State was removed.

TECHNICAL

The document was updated from an 'Original' draft to an 'Enrolled' Act, indicating it has passed both legislative chambers and been signed by the Governor.

Floor votes · Senate May 6, 2026 · House Mar 24, 2026

How they voted

38–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 40

May 6, 2026

D Democratic12

11 Yea 1

91% Yea

R Republican28

27 Yea 1

96% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

upper

Apr 27, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

Apr 22, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Mar 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 98, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Mar 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably (13-0).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

lower

Feb 13, 2026

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors