CHILDREN/CUSTODY: Provides relative to child custody
HB 1239 updates Louisiana's child custody laws to establish a general preference for equal physical custody sharing between parents. The bill requires courts to order equal time with both parents unless they determine that such an arrangement is not feasible or would not serve the child's best interests. This change directly affects families involved in custody disputes by setting a new standard that prioritizes shared parenting arrangements over the previous default.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
House Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Apr 14, 2026
Signed Jun 1, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB1239 Original
→
HB1239 Act 605
·
2 edits
MINOR
The bill was formally enrolled and approved by the Governor, transitioning from a draft version to an enacted law. The substantive policy regarding equal child custody sharing remains unchanged, but the document now includes official signatures from the Speaker of the House, President of the Senate, and Governor, along with updated co-sponsor names.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the text of the law itself was not modified.
TECHNICAL
Added official enrollment status, signatures from legislative and executive leaders, and updated co-sponsor information.
Removed draft headers, legislative service digest, and coding instructions used for the original bill text.
Floor votes · Senate May 18, 2026 · House Apr 21, 2026
How they voted
37–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 40
May 18, 2026
D
Democratic12
91% Yea
R
Republican28
92% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
16
Key actions
4
Committee
3
May 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 6, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Reported favorably.
upper
Apr 21, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 101, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Apr 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read by title, substitute title adopted, lies over in the same order of business, substitute for HB No. 473 reported by the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure (6-0-1).
lower
1 primary · 6 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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