SCHOOLS/HIGH SCHOOL: Provides for a State Seal of Fine Arts to recognize high school graduates who meet certain academic eligibility criteria (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)
HB 201 creates a State Seal of Fine Arts to recognize Louisiana high school graduates who complete specific arts coursework. To earn the seal, students must complete four credits in one arts discipline (like music or visual arts), maintain a 3.0 GPA in those courses, and complete an arts-related capstone project or portfolio. The state superintendent will provide schools with an insignia to affix to qualifying students' diplomas or transcripts, while schools must track recipients and the State Board of Education will establish detailed implementation rules. This bill directly affects Louisiana public high school students pursuing arts education and requires participating schools to administer the recognition program.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 18, 2026
Signed May 15, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB201 Original
→
HB201 Act
·
3 edits
MINOR
HB 201 was enacted as Act No. 137, formally adding Representatives Chassion and the Speaker of the House to the bill's sponsors. The substantive content regarding the State Seal of Fine Arts remains consistent, requiring schools to maintain records and the State Board to create rules for implementation.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it still applies to public school governing authorities and the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
TECHNICAL
Added Representative Chassion as a co-sponsor alongside Representative McMakin.
Changed the document header from 'ORIGINAL' to 'ENROLLED' and the Act number to 137, indicating the bill has been approved by the Governor and is now law.
Removed the Legislative Services digest and abstract, which are informational summaries not part of the final legal text.
Floor votes · Senate May 12, 2026 · House Mar 31, 2026
How they voted
35–0
Passed · 5 other
Total votes 40
May 12, 2026
D
Democratic12
75% Yea
R
Republican28
92% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
20
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 34 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 4, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
Apr 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Reported favorably.
upper
Mar 31, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Mar 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (10-0).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.
lower
Feb 18, 2026
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor
Sponsors
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