PROPERTY/PUBLIC: Provides relative to the tacit dedication of roads
HB 720 clarifies that when a Louisiana parish or municipality maintains a road for four years or more, it becomes a public road automatically, without needing formal agreement. This means the road and its right-of-way cannot be sold by neighboring landowners, and public improvements like sidewalks built on it remain publicly accessible. If the government later decides to return such a road to its original owner, it must send written notice with a 90-day response period. The law applies retroactively to all roads meeting these conditions.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 27, 2026
Signed May 15, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB720 Original
→
HB720 Act
·
3 edits
MINOR
This bill clarifies that roads and public improvements tacitly dedicated to the public remain public property until the local government formally revokes the dedication. It specifically ensures that boat launches, boat landings, and parking areas built on these roads cannot be sold or disposed of privately without following proper legal procedures. The change strengthens public access to these areas and prevents local governments from inadvertently losing public assets.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of protected public property to explicitly include specific infrastructure like boat launches and parking areas within the right-of-way of tacitly dedicated roads.
REQUIREMENT
Added a specific requirement that public works, including boat launches, boat landings, and parking areas, must remain subject to public use unless formally disposed of according to applicable law.
DEFINITION
Modified the definition of public use to clarify that tacit dedication remains in force until a formal revocation occurs by the parish or municipality.
TECHNICAL
Added an enrolled act header and updated the document title to reflect its status as an enacted law.
Floor votes · Senate May 11, 2026 · House Mar 23, 2026
How they voted
37–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 40
May 11, 2026
D
Democratic12
83% Yea
R
Republican28
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
20
Key actions
4
Committee
5
May 11, 2026
Upper · Passed
Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
Apr 27, 2026
Committee
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
Apr 22, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably.
upper
Mar 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Mar 16, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (14-0).
lower
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Neil Riser
RRepublican
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