HB 288 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

HEALTH CARE/RECORDS: Provides for the use of certain medical terminology in medical documentation (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

HB 288 requires healthcare providers in Louisiana to include "miscarriage" in parentheses after "spontaneous abortion" in all medical records and billing documentation. This bill directly affects hospitals, clinics, and medical billing entities regulated under Louisiana law. The key provision mandates this terminology change for consistency in clinical records and billing systems, using plain language to clarify the medical term "spontaneous abortion" (referring to early pregnancy loss). The bill is procedural, focusing solely on standardizing medical documentation terminology without altering healthcare services or patient rights.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

House Passage

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Feb 24, 2026 Signed May 29, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB288 Original → HB288 Act 540 · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was amended to change mandatory language to permissive language, allowing rather than requiring medical entities to include the term 'miscarriage' after 'spontaneous abortion' in documentation. This reduces the regulatory burden on healthcare providers by giving them discretion in terminology usage instead of enforcing a specific requirement.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on medical documentation terminology, but the applicability shifted from a strict mandate to an optional practice.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the requirement to include the term 'miscarriage' in parentheses after 'spontaneous abortion' to a permission to include it, removing the mandatory nature of the terminology usage.

Floor votes · Senate May 21, 2026 · House Apr 9, 2026

How they voted

37–0

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 40

May 21, 2026

D Democratic12

11 Yea 1

91% 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 21, 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 14, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

May 13, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Apr 9, 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

Apr 1, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (10-0).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

lower

Feb 24, 2026

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

lower

1 primary · 18 co-sponsors