HB 578 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

CIVIL/LAW: Provides for the Restoring Biological Truth Act

HB 578, the "Restoring Biological Truth Act," amends Louisiana statutes to replace the term "gender" with "sex" in all legal references, defining "sex" as an individual's biological sex at birth (male or female). The bill specifically requires that "sex" be used instead of "gender" in civil codes, court documents, workforce reporting (e.g., R.S. 4:158.2), child custody forms (e.g., R.S. 13:1856), and diversity language for boards (e.g., R.S. 3:1493), while clarifying that gender identity cannot substitute for biological sex. It directly affects state agencies, courts, and organizations collecting demographic data or drafting legal documents. The bill does not create new restrictions but changes terminology across 50+ statutes to align with the defined biological sex standard.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

May 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Senate Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

Jun 2026

Introduced Feb 26, 2026 Signed Jun 8, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 5 comparisons

What changed between versions

Senate Floor Bureau Note, #3797, Miller, G., Adopted → HB578 Act 814 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was re-enrolled and amended to replace gender-neutral language with specific references to biological sex throughout the state code. This change clarifies that 'sex' is defined strictly as an individual's biological sex (male or female) as observed or certified at birth, explicitly prohibiting the use of 'gender identity' as a substitute. The amendments also mandate that various state boards and commissions ensure their membership reflects the state's population by race and biological sex to promote diversity.

Scope change

The scope of the bill expanded to include explicit definitions of biological sex and new mandates for demographic diversity on state boards, shifting from general gender neutrality to specific biological sex references.

DEFINITION

Added a specific definition of 'sex' as biological sex (male or female) observed or certified at birth, while explicitly banning the use of 'gender identity' as a synonym.

REQUIREMENT

Changed references from 'gender' to 'gender sex' and added requirements for state boards and commissions to be representative of the population by race and biological sex.

TECHNICAL

Corrected statutory citations to align with the new language regarding biological sex and updated the bill's title and sponsor information.

HB578 Reengrossed → HB578 Enrolled · 6 edits · May 28, 2026

MODERATE

The bill transitioned from a 'Reengrossed' draft to its final 'Enrolled' version, finalizing the text for the Governor's signature. The primary substantive change is the addition of new statutes in the Enrolled version that were not present in the Reengrossed draft, specifically expanding the list of laws amended to include provisions related to industrial hemp, equine promotion, professional services reporting, and gestational carrier contracts. These additions ensure the 'Restoring Biological Truth Act' applies to a broader range of state agencies and legal contexts, including requiring diversity on advisory boards and prohibiting discrimination based on sex in professional licensing.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was expanded in the Enrolled version to include additional statutes and specific regulatory areas such as industrial hemp promotion, equine promotion, and gestational carrier contracts, which were absent in the Reengrossed version.

SCOPE

Added amendments to R.S. 9:2720(D) regarding gestational carrier contracts, prohibiting agreements that require a carrier to terminate a pregnancy due to prenatal diagnosis of disability or health conditions.

Added a comprehensive list of additional statutes (including R.S. 36:108, R.S. 37:832, and others) to the section detailing which laws are amended by the bill.

REQUIREMENT

Added amendments to R.S. 4:158.2(A)(2) requiring professional service associations to report demographic data including race, gender, and residency to state committees.

Added amendments to R.S. 3:1493(E) and R.S. 2074(E) requiring state advisory boards for industrial hemp and equine promotion to be representative of the population by race and gender to ensure diversity.

DEFINITION

Added amendments to R.S. 1:8 defining 'sex' as biological sex observed or certified at birth and prohibiting the use of 'gender identity' as a substitute for 'sex'.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header and page counts to reflect the final enrolled status, changing the document title from 'Reengrossed' to 'Enrolled'.

Floor votes · Senate May 21, 2026 · House Apr 28, 2026

How they voted

27–8

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 40

May 21, 2026

D Democratic12

2 Yea 8 Nay 2

66% Nay

R Republican28

25 Yea 3

89% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read by title, roll called, yeas 70, nays 25, Senate amendments concurred in.

lower

May 21, 2026

Upper · Passed

Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 27 yeas and 8 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

upper

May 13, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

May 12, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Apr 28, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 74, nays 21. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Apr 22, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (6-1-1).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.

lower

1 primary · 17 co-sponsors