This amendment requires mayors to complete at least 16 hours of approved training each year and adds rules for tracking their progress.
Louisiana2026Enacted
HB431
Training Requirements for Mayors and Local Officials
Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 3:26 AM
In one sentence
This law requires all mayors to complete at least sixteen hours of approved training each year, while allowing other local officials in towns with fifteen thousand people or fewer to participate voluntarily.
What it does
- Requires every mayor to earn a minimum of sixteen credit hours annually through workshops and courses on municipal governance.
- Allows members of governing authorities in cities with populations of fifteen thousand or less to take these training courses if they choose.
- Mandates that the Louisiana Municipal Association approve all training courses used for this requirement.
- Includes specific topics such as ethics, sexual harassment prevention, cybersecurity, campaign finance, public contracts, and emergency preparedness in the required training hours.
- Requires mayors to sign a form stating they met the training rules when submitting their city's annual financial statements.
Who it affects
- Mayors of all municipalities
- Members of governing authorities in cities with populations of fifteen thousand or less
- The Louisiana Municipal Association, which must approve and help organize the training courses
- Licensed certified public accountants who audit municipal finances
Limits and unknowns
- The law does not apply to people appointed temporarily as mayor if their appointment lasts less than one year.
- It is unclear what penalties exist for mayors who fail to complete the required training hours, though non-compliance will be listed publicly.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Governing authorities
- Elected officials such as city council members or board members who run a local government.
- Legislative auditor
- The state official responsible for reviewing and checking the financial records of local governments.
- Attestation
- A formal written statement confirming that a person has followed specific rules or requirements.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
MUNICIPAL: Requires certain training for certain local officials (EN NO IMPACT See Note)
Official activity
Bill history
- Effective date: 01/01/2027.H
- Becomes Act No. 946 without the Governor's signature.H
- Sent to the Governor for executive approval.H
- Signed by the President of the Senate.S
- Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.H
- Read by title, roll called, yeas 98, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.H
- Scheduled for concurrence on 05/27/2026.H
- Received from the Senate with amendments.H
- Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.S
- Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.S
- Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.S
- Reported with amendments.S
- Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs.S
- Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.S
- Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.H
- Called from the calendar.H
- Read by title, returned to the calendar.H
- Scheduled for floor debate on 04/15/2026.H
- Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.H
- Reported with amendments (16-0).H
Changes
Amendments
9 stored
Filed 7
Filed 8
This amendment fixes a capitalization error by changing 'Municipal Retirement Systems' to lowercase.
This amendment adds municipal retirement systems to a list of topics that certain local officials must receive training on.
This amendment adds municipal retirement systems to a list of topics that certain local officials must receive training on.
This amendment records that the House voted to agree with changes made by the Senate to a bill about training for local officials.
This amendment updates the bill to require local officials to attend workshops, national conferences, and specific types of training like continuing legal education.
This amendment fixes a grammar error in House Bill No. 431 and adds specific examples to clarify which professional groups must provide training for local officials.