HB 486 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

PSYCHOLOGISTS: Provides relative to the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT)

HB 486 enacts Louisiana's participation in the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), allowing psychologists licensed in Louisiana to provide telepsychology services (via video or phone) and temporary in-person care (up to 30 days per year) in other participating states without obtaining additional licenses. The bill establishes a $50 fee for Louisiana-licensed psychologists using the compact and requires states to share information on licensure and disciplinary actions to protect public safety. It defines key terms like "home state" (Louisiana for the psychologist) and "distant state" (the state where temporary care occurs), while ensuring the compact does not apply to permanent in-person practice. This aims to increase access to psychological services across state lines while maintaining regulatory oversight through shared information and commission oversight.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

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 26, 2026 Signed May 22, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB486 Original → HB486 Act 302 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was enrolled as Act No. 302, formalizing the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT) into law. The text was reorganized into a standard legislative format with clear articles and sections, and the list of sponsors was updated to include Representatives Knox and McMakin. Substantively, the definitions and purpose clauses were reordered and slightly rephrased to align with the official compact language, ensuring clarity on how the law protects public safety while allowing psychologists to practice across state lines.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on regulating telepsychology and temporary in-person practice across state boundaries, but the text now explicitly clarifies that the compact does not apply to permanent in-person practice or when a psychologist is already licensed in both the home and receiving states.

TECHNICAL

Added formal enrollment status (Act No. 302) and updated the list of bill sponsors to include Representatives Knox and McMakin.

DEFINITION

Reordered and rephrased the definitions and purpose sections to match the official PSYPACT structure, clarifying terms like 'adverse action' and 'authority to practice interjurisdictional telepsychology'.

REQUIREMENT

Added a specific provision allowing the board to collect a renewal fee of up to fifty dollars from compact participants whose home state is Louisiana, in accordance with R.S. 37:2371.

SCOPE

Explicitly stated that the compact does not apply to permanent in-person practice, limiting its application to temporary telepsychology and short-term in-person visits.

Floor votes · Senate May 18, 2026 · House Apr 14, 2026

How they voted

35–0

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 40

May 18, 2026

D Democratic12

11 Yea 1

91% Yea

R Republican28

24 Yea 4

85% 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 7, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

May 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Apr 14, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 99, nays 2. The bill, having received two-thirds vote of the elected members, was finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Apr 8, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (9-0).

lower

Mar 23, 2026

Committee

Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

lower

Mar 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (12-0). To be recommitted to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

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

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Committee

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

lower

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors