HB117 • 2026

SUNSET LAW: Re-creates the Department of State and the statutory entities made a part of the department by law

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Beau Beaullieu
Last action: 2026-05-11
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 52
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on changes made to Louisiana Revised Statutes beyond the mentioned sections and dates.

Sunset Law for the Department of State

This law re-creates and sets a future termination date for the Louisiana Department of State and its related entities.

What This Bill Does

Re-creates the Department of State and its statutory entities on June 30, 2026.
Sets July 1, 2033 as the end date when these entities will stop operating unless re-created earlier.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of State and its related statutory entities in Louisiana.

Terms To Know

Statutory entity: A government agency or organization created by law.
Sunset Law: A type of law that sets a specific date when an existing statute will expire unless it is re-enacted.

Limits and Unknowns

The exact details about what happens after July 1, 2033 are not specified in the bill.
It does not explain how or if the Department of State can be re-created before its termination date.

Bill History

2026-05-11 H
Effective date: 06/30/2026.
2026-05-11 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 52.
2026-05-08 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-07 S
Signed by the President of the Senate on 5/7/2026.
2026-05-07 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-07 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-06 S
Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-04-28 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-04-27 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-04-22 S
Reported favorably.
2026-03-25 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs.
2026-03-24 S
Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-03-24 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 98, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-03-23 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/24/2026.
2026-03-23 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-18 H
Reported favorably (13-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
2026-02-13 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/13/2026.
2026-02-13 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
2026-02-13 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

SUNSET LAW: Re-creates the Department of State and the statutory entities made a part of the department by law

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 522026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 117
BY REPRESENTATIVE BEAULLIEU
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 49:191(4) and to repeal R.S. 49:191(1)(c), relative to the
3 Department of State, including provisions to provide for the re-creation of the
4 Department of State and the statutory entities made a part of the department by law;
5 to provide for the effective termination date for all statutory authority for the
6 existence of such statutory entities; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. Pursuant to R.S. 49:193, the Department of State and the statutory entities
9 made a part of the department by law shall be re-created effective June 30, 2026, and all
10 statutory authority therefor is continued in accordance with the provisions of Part XII of
11 Chapter 1 of Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
12 Section 2. All statutory authority for the existence of the Department of State and
13 the statutory entities made a part of the department as re-created by Section 1 of this Act
14 shall cease as of July 1, 2033, pursuant to R.S. 49:191. However, the Department of State
15 may be re-created prior to such date in accordance with the provisions of Part XII of Chapter
16 1 of Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
17 Section 3. The provisions of R.S. 49:193 are hereby superseded to the extent that
18 those provisions are in conflict with the provisions of this Act.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 117 ENROLLED
1 Section 4. R.S. 49:191(4) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
2 §191. Termination of legislative authority for existence of statutory entities; phase-
3 out period for statutory entities; table of dates
4 Notwithstanding any termination dates set by any previous Act of the
5 legislature, the statutory entities set forth in this Section shall begin to terminate their
6 operations on July first of each of the following years, and all legislative authority
7 for the existence of any statutory entity, as defined in R.S. 49:190, shall cease as of
8 July first of the following year, which shall be the termination date:
9 * * *
10 (4) July 1, 2025 2032:
11 (a) The Department of State and all statutory entities made a part of the
12 department by law.
13 * * *
14 Section 5. R.S. 49:191(1)(c) is hereby repealed in its entirety.
15 Section 6. This Act shall become effective on June 30, 2026; if vetoed by the
16 governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become effective on
17 June 30, 2026, or on the day following such approval by the legislature, whichever is later.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 2 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.