HB 28 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

TEACHERS/CERTIFICATION: Provides relative to the appeals process for teacher certification applicants

HB 28 amends Louisiana's teacher certification appeals process to give the state superintendent of education new authority. It allows the superintendent to override a Teacher Certification Appeals Council's denial of certification if the denial resulted from circumstances beyond the applicant's control (e.g., administrative errors), but not if the certification would conflict with state or federal law. This applies to applicants denied certification after January 1, 2025, including retroactive review of past denials. The bill directly affects educators seeking certification who have been denied by the appeals council. The key change is adding this superintendent override option while maintaining the council's decision as final except under these specific conditions.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

House Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Jan 21, 2026 Signed May 22, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB28 Original → HB28 Act 281 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates the teacher certification appeals process by shifting the authority to override council denials from the State Superintendent to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. The change ensures that the Board, rather than a single official, decides when to override a denial based on circumstances beyond the applicant's control, while retaining the power to reject overrides if they would conflict with state or federal law. It also allows the Board to delegate this specific authority to its president and requires a decision to be made within thirty days.

Scope change

The scope of decision-making authority over certification appeals was expanded from a single state official to the entire State Board, with the option to delegate to the Board president.

REQUIREMENT

Authority to override council denials was transferred from the State Superintendent to the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The State Board is now authorized to delegate its override authority to the Board president.

TIMELINE

A new requirement mandates that the State Board or Board president must render a decision within thirty days of receiving an override request.

ENFORCEMENT

The prohibition on overriding denials due to legal conflicts was updated to apply to the State Board instead of the State Superintendent.

Floor votes · Senate May 18, 2026 · House Mar 24, 2026

How they voted

35–0

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 40

May 18, 2026

D Democratic12

9 Yea 3

75% Yea

R Republican28

26 Yea 2

92% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 18, 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 12, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

May 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Mar 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 91, nays 3. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Mar 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (9-4).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.

lower

Jan 21, 2026

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.

lower

1 primary · 4 co-sponsors