SB 234: POSTSECONDARY ED: Provides for medical school students' grading. (2/3-CA7s2.1(A)) (7/1/26) (EN NO IMPACT See Note) - Louisiana

Senate Floor Bureau Note, #1573, Pressly, Adopted → SB234 Act 409 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill enrolls Senate Bill 234 into law, establishing a new grading requirement for public medical schools in Louisiana. It mandates that starting August 1, 2027, these institutions must use a tiered grading system with at least four categories (such as High-Pass, Pass, Low-Pass, and Fail) instead of traditional letter grades for medical doctorate coursework. The act also sets the law's effective date as July 1, 2026, and includes a severability clause to ensure the rest of the law remains valid if any part is struck down.

Scope change

The bill's scope is now finalized as state law, applying specifically to public postsecondary education institutions offering medical doctorate degrees in Louisiana.

REQUIREMENT

Mandates a tiered grading system with at least four designations (e.g., High-Pass, Pass, Low-Pass, Fail) for medical doctorate coursework.

TIMELINE

Sets the implementation deadline for the new grading system as August 1, 2027.

Establishes the official effective date of the Act as July 1, 2026, with a specific provision for the timeline if the Governor vetoes the bill.

DEFINITION

Formally names the legislation the 'Medical School Letter Grade Act'.

SB234 Original → Senate Floor Bureau Note, #1573, Pressly, Adopted · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was amended to add a specific definition for 'Low-Pass' grades by inserting the abbreviation '(LP)' next to the term in the grading scale requirements. This technical change clarifies the terminology used to describe failing grades, ensuring consistency in how medical schools report student performance under the new letter-grade mandate.

DEFINITION

Added the abbreviation '(LP)' immediately after the term 'Low-Pass' in the list of acceptable grading designations to clarify the definition of failing grades.

SB234 Enrolled → SB234 Original · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from SB 234 to SLS 26RS-556 and updated to reflect the 2026 Regular Session. The core policy remains unchanged, requiring public medical schools to use a tiered grading system (A-F with plus/minus) starting in the 2026-2027 academic year, but the header and digest were revised to clarify the effective date and session details.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it still applies to public postsecondary institutions offering medical doctorate degrees.

TECHNICAL

The bill number was changed from SB 234 to SLS 26RS-556, and the session header was updated to '2026 Regular Session'.

A digest section was added to summarize the bill's purpose, scope, and effective date for public reference.

The title page layout was updated to include the Legislative Services number and original status, replacing the enrolled version formatting.

TIMELINE

The effective date was updated to begin in the 2026-2027 academic school year, replacing a previous August 1, 2027 start date.

SB234 Reengrossed → SB234 Enrolled · 3 edits · May 12, 2026

MINOR

The bill was finalized as an enrolled version, adding co-sponsorship by a Representative and removing internal legislative markings like committee digests and amendment summaries. The core policy requirements regarding medical school grading systems and the effective date remain unchanged from the reengrossed version.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability to public postsecondary institutions offering medical doctorate degrees remain unchanged.

TECHNICAL

Added Representative Chassion as a co-sponsor to the bill.

Removed internal legislative markings, including the Senate Legislative Services digest, committee amendment summaries, and the original bill number.

Changed the document title from 'REENGROSSED' to 'ENROLLED' to indicate final passage by both legislative chambers.

SB234 Engrossed → SB234 Reengrossed · 3 edits · May 11, 2026

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to remove language authorizing civil penalties for violations and to make minor technical corrections to the grading scale terminology. These changes simplify the enforcement mechanism by eliminating the threat of fines while ensuring the grading system description is consistent.

ENFORCEMENT

Deleted the provision that authorized the Board of Regents to adopt policies for civil penalties against institutions violating the new grading requirements.

TECHNICAL

Corrected the grading scale description to use 'Low-Pass (LP)' instead of 'Low-Pass, or' for consistency.

Adjusted page numbering and formatting headers to reflect the bill's status as 'Reengrossed' rather than 'Engrossed'.

POSTSECONDARY ED: Provides for medical school students' grading. (2/3-CA7s2.1(A)) (7/1/26) (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors