HB 951 Louisiana House · 2026 Regular Session

LABOR: Provides with respect to the creation of an Office of the Louisiana Talent Accelerator within Louisiana Works (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)

HB 951 creates a new "Office of Talent Accelerator" within Louisiana Works to coordinate workforce development across state agencies and businesses. The office will map existing workforce programs, manage federal/state funding for high-demand jobs, assist businesses in accessing training resources, and develop industry-specific talent pipelines. It establishes a Business Workforce Committee (with majority business representatives) to advise the office, set performance metrics, and review annual plans. The bill explicitly excludes this office from standard state procurement rules, allowing flexible funding and contracting to support business workforce needs. This affects Louisiana businesses, workforce training programs, and state agencies involved in economic development.

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 27, 2026 Signed Jun 9, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB951 Original → HB951 Act 856 · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill replaces the 'Office of Talent Accelerator' with a new 'Office of Business Workforce Solutions' to better align workforce programs with business needs. The change involves renaming the office, updating its specific duties to focus on business services and talent pipelines, and adjusting the composition of the advisory committee to include the Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a general 'talent accelerator' program to a more specific 'Business Workforce Solutions' initiative, explicitly including federal layoff aversion funding and expanding the definition of the office's functions.

SCOPE

Renamed the 'Office of Talent Accelerator' to the 'Office of Business Workforce Solutions' throughout the statute.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the duties of the Business Workforce Committee to advise the new Office of Business Workforce Solutions instead of the old office.

Changed the committee composition requirement to ensure one member is the Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development or their designee.

DEFINITION

Expanded the list of specific functions the office performs to include managing federal layoff aversion funds and Business Services programs.

FISCAL

Clarified that up to 10% of appropriated funds can be used for administrative expenses, while explicitly excluding employer outreach costs from this limit.

HB951 Enrolled → HB951 Original · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renamed from the 'Office of Business Workforce Solutions' to the 'Office of Talent Accelerator,' reflecting a strategic shift toward a more dynamic, growth-oriented approach to workforce development. The new office will focus on building talent pipelines, aligning training with high-demand industries, and coordinating regional solutions rather than just managing existing programs. The associated Business Workforce Committee was also renamed and its role updated to advise this new office.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a general 'business workforce solutions' program to a specific 'talent accelerator' program within Louisiana Works, changing the primary focus from broad service management to strategic talent pipeline development and industry alignment.

SCOPE

The primary office created by the bill was renamed from 'Office of Business Workforce Solutions' to 'Office of Talent Accelerator' to reflect a new strategic focus.

REQUIREMENT

The duties of the new office were updated to emphasize building talent pipelines, developing industry-specific training partnerships, and expanding work-based learning like apprenticeships.

The Business Workforce Committee was renamed to the 'Business Workforce Committee' (retaining the name but changing its advisory role) to serve as the advisory committee to the new Office of Talent Accelerator instead of the former office.

The committee's composition was clarified to require seven members with a majority being business representatives, ensuring strong industry input into the new accelerator program.

The committee's specific duties were updated to include recommending candidates for the assistant secretary position within the new Office of Talent Accelerator and reporting on its results.

The procurement code exemption was updated to explicitly exclude the 'office of talent accelerator' rather than the previous 'Office of Business Workforce Solutions'.

The council's duties were updated to recommend performance metrics specifically for the new Office of Talent Accelerator instead of the former office.

Floor votes · Senate May 26, 2026 · House Mar 26, 2026

How they voted

32–2

Passed · 6 other

Total votes 40

May 26, 2026

D Democratic12

9 Yea 3

75% Yea

R Republican28

23 Yea 2 Nay 3

82% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read by title, roll called, yeas 97, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.

lower

May 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 33 yeas and 2 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

upper

May 19, 2026

Committee

Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

upper

May 18, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Apr 20, 2026

Committee

Read by title. Recommitted to the Committee on Finance.

upper

Apr 15, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably.

upper

Mar 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 89, nays 2. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

lower

Mar 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported with amendments (11-0).

lower

Mar 9, 2026

Committee

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations.

lower

Feb 27, 2026

Committee

Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors