HOMELAND SECURITY: Provides for critical infrastructure protection. (8/1/26) (EN SEE FISC NOTE SG RV)
SB 251 establishes the "Louisiana Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2026" to safeguard critical infrastructure - including gas/oil systems, water delivery, telecommunications, power grids, emergency services, and transportation systems - from foreign adversaries. The bill prohibits companies and government entities from entering agreements that allow foreign adversaries (as defined by federal regulations) to access or control critical infrastructure, and bans the use of adversary cameras and laser sensors in Louisiana transportation systems. Companies must certify their access, conduct background checks on employees with infrastructure access, store data outside foreign adversary countries, and report cyber incidents to the Governor's Office of Homeland Security, with exceptions only for unavoidable needs approved by that office. This directly affects businesses and government agencies operating critical infrastructure in Louisiana.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
May 2026
Senate Passage
May 2026
House Passage
May 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Feb 26, 2026
Signed Jun 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 6 comparisons
What changed between versions
Senate Floor Bureau Note, #2928, Pressly, Adopted
→
SB251 Act
·
4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was finalized into an Act, replacing the Senate Floor Amendment notes with the official statutory text. The core policy changes include establishing a new 'Critical Infrastructure Protection Act' to safeguard state systems from foreign adversaries, specifically banning the use of adversary cameras and laser sensors in transportation systems and requiring assessments of vulnerabilities related to sanctioned communications equipment.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to formally create a new legal framework (Part B of Chapter 51) defining critical infrastructure and foreign adversaries, moving from a proposed amendment to an enacted law.
DEFINITION
Added specific legal definitions for 'Critical Infrastructure,' 'Foreign Adversary,' and 'Foreign Principal' to clarify who and what is protected.
REQUIREMENT
Mandated that the state assess its vulnerability to sanctioned communications equipment.
Prohibited the use of adversary cameras and laser sensor technologies within Louisiana transportation systems.
ENFORCEMENT
Established a new section on operational command authority to manage real-time decisions affecting critical infrastructure safety.
Floor votes · Senate Apr 29, 2026 · House May 26, 2026
How they voted
33–0
Passed · 7 other
Total votes 40
Apr 29, 2026
D
Democratic12
66% Yea
R
Republican28
89% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
21
Key actions
6
Committee
6
Amendments
1
May 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Amendments proposed by the House read and concurred in by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays.
upper
May 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 85, nays 13. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.
lower
May 19, 2026
Introduced
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.
lower
May 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported with amendments (14-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.
lower
May 6, 2026
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Commerce.
lower
Apr 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 31 yeas and 0 nays; ordered re-reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
Apr 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported with amendments.
upper
Apr 8, 2026
Committee
Read by title. Committee amendments read and adopted; ordered engrossed and recommitted to the Committee on Finance.
upper
Apr 7, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported with amendments.
upper
Mar 9, 2026
Committee
Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Judiciary B.
upper
1 primary · 7 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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