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HB185 • 2026

WORKERS COMPENSATION: Provides relative to the definition of an independent contractor (EN DECREASE SD EX See Note)

WORKERS COMPENSATION: Provides relative to the definition of an independent contractor (EN DECREASE SD EX See Note)

Agriculture Labor
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Michael Melerine
Last action
2026-05-15
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 133
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on what constitutes 'substantial manual labor'.

Workers' Compensation for Independent Contractors

This act changes the definition of an independent contractor to include their employees who do manual labor under workers' compensation laws.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes how Louisiana defines an independent contractor in its workers' compensation law.
  • Includes the employees of independent contractors who are substantially engaged in manual labor under the workers' compensation program.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Independent contractors and their employees who perform substantial manual labor in Louisiana.

Terms To Know

Independent contractor
A person or business that works for another company but is not an employee, usually doing specific tasks or projects. Under this act, if a significant portion of their work involves manual labor, they and their employees are covered by workers' compensation laws.
Manual labor
Physical work involving the use of hands and body to do tasks like construction, farming, or truck driving. However, operating trucks is not considered manual labor under this act.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act only affects workers in Louisiana.
  • It does not change how independent contractors are treated for other types of laws or regulations outside of workers' compensation.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Filed

Plain English: SSHB185 4145 5185 HOUSE SUMMARY OF SENATE AMENDMENTS HB 185 2026 Regular Session Melerine WORKERS COMPENSATION: Provides relative to the definition of an independent contractor Synopsis of Senate Amendments 1.

  • SSHB185 4145 5185 HOUSE SUMMARY OF SENATE AMENDMENTS HB 185 2026 Regular Session Melerine WORKERS COMPENSATION: Provides relative to the definition of an independent contractor Synopsis of Senate Amendments 1.
  • Revises the definition of independent contractor by removing the provision of proposed law that includes other independent contractor contracting with an independent contractor.
  • Digest of Bill as Finally Passed by Senate Present law defines an individual who is considered an independent contractor for the purposes of workers' compensation.
  • Proposed law expands the definition of independent contractor to also include employees of independent contractors who are also substantially engaged in manual labor.
Adopted

Plain English: HFAHB185 4145 2406 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Melerine to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • HFAHB185 4145 2406 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Melerine to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 185 by Representative Melerine 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 2, delete lines 3 through 5 in their entirety and insert in lieu thereof the following: 3 4 "(b) "Independent contractor", as defined in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, who 5 is substantially engaged in manual labor and is expressly covered by the provisions of this 6 Chapter, also includes the employees of an independent contractor and other independent 7 contractors contracting with an independent contractor, who are also substantially engaged 8 in manual labor." Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.
Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB185 4145 2048 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB185 4145 2048 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations to Original House Bill No.
  • 185 by Representative Melerine 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, at the end of line 2, change "worker's" to "workers'" Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.
Draft

Plain English: HCAHB185 4145 1631 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB185 4145 1631 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations to Original House Bill No.
  • 185 by Representative Melerine 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, at the end of line 2, change "worker's" to "workers'" Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.
Filed

Plain English: The amendment to HB185 changes how workers' compensation laws define an independent contractor.

  • Modifies the definition of who qualifies as an independent contractor under workers' compensation rules.
  • The official text does not provide specific details about the new definition or its implications.
Adopted

Plain English: SCAHB185 3987 2557 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations to Reengrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB185 3987 2557 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations to Reengrossed House Bill No.
  • 185 by Representative Melerine 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 2, line 6, after “contractor” delete the remainder of the line 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 2, at the beginning of line 7, delete "contractor," Page 1 of 1
Draft

Plain English: SCAHB185 3987 2397 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations to Reengrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB185 3987 2397 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations to Reengrossed House Bill No.
  • 185 by Representative Melerine 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 2, line 6, after “contractor” delete the remainder of the line 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 2, at the beginning of line 7, delete "contractor," Page 1 of 1

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-15 H

    Effective date: 08/01/2026.

  2. 2026-05-15 H

    Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 133.

  3. 2026-05-13 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  4. 2026-05-13 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  5. 2026-05-12 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  6. 2026-05-11 H

    Read by title, roll called, yeas 77, nays 22, Senate amendments concurred in.

  7. 2026-05-07 H

    Scheduled for concurrence on 05/11/2026.

  8. 2026-05-06 H

    Received from the Senate with amendments.

  9. 2026-05-06 S

    The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 27 yeas and 10 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  10. 2026-04-28 S

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

  11. 2026-04-27 S

    Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  12. 2026-04-22 S

    Reported with amendments.

  13. 2026-04-01 S

    Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations.

  14. 2026-03-31 S

    Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

  15. 2026-03-30 H

    Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 70, nays 28. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  16. 2026-03-30 H

    Called from the calendar.

  17. 2026-03-26 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 03/30/2026.

  18. 2026-03-26 H

    Notice given.

  19. 2026-03-26 H

    Read by title, returned to the calendar.

  20. 2026-03-25 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 03/26/2026.

  21. 2026-03-24 H

    Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

  22. 2026-03-23 H

    Reported with amendments (6-4).

  23. 2026-03-09 H

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

  24. 2026-02-20 H

    First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.

  25. 2026-02-18 H

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

  26. 2026-02-18 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

WORKERS COMPENSATION: Provides relative to the definition of an independent contractor (EN DECREASE SD EX See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED
ACT No. 1332026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 185
BY REPRESENTATIVE MELERINE
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 23:1021(introductory paragraph) and (7), relative to workers'
3 compensation; to provide for the definition of an independent contractor; to expand
4 the definition of an independent contractor; and to provide for related matters.
5 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
6 Section 1. R.S. 23:1021(introductory paragraph) and (7) are hereby amended and
7 reenacted to read as follows:
8 §1021. Terms defined
9 As used in this Chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
10 following terms shall be given have the meaning ascribed to them in this Section:
11 * * *
12 (7)(a) "Independent contractor" means any person who renders service, other
13 than manual labor, for a specified recompense for a specified result either as a unit
14 or as a whole, under the control of his principal as to results of his work only, and not
15 as to the means by which such result is accomplished, and are expressly excluded
16 from the provisions of this Chapter unless a substantial part of the work time of an
17 independent contractor is spent in manual labor by him in carrying out the terms of
18 the contract, in which case the independent contractor is expressly covered by the
19 provisions of this Chapter. The operation of a truck tractor or truck tractor trailer,
20 including fueling, driving, connecting and disconnecting electrical lines and air
21 hoses, hooking and unhooking trailers, and vehicle inspections are not manual labor
22 within the meaning of this Chapter.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 185 ENROLLED
1 (b) "Independent contractor", as defined in Subparagraph (a) of this
2 Paragraph, who is substantially engaged in manual labor and is expressly covered by
3 the provisions of this Chapter, also includes the employees of an independent
4 contractor who are also substantially engaged in manual labor.
5 * * *
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.