HB201 • 2026

SCHOOLS/HIGH SCHOOL: Provides for a State Seal of Fine Arts to recognize high school graduates who meet certain academic eligibility criteria (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)

Education

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Dixon McMakin
Last action: 2026-05-15
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 137
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how the state superintendent ensures that schools have the necessary materials for the seal program.

State Seal of Fine Arts for High School Graduates

This act creates a State Seal of Fine Arts to recognize high school graduates who meet specific academic criteria in the arts.

What This Bill Does

Creates a new state law that allows high school students to earn a special seal on their diploma if they do well in arts classes.
Requires students to complete four credits in one type of art, like music or visual arts, and get good grades in those classes.
Asks students to finish an important project or show their work before graduating to get the seal.

Who It Names or Affects

High school students who want to earn a State Seal of Fine Arts on their diploma.
Schools and teachers who need to help students meet the requirements for the seal.

Terms To Know

State Seal of Fine Arts: A special recognition given by Louisiana schools to high school graduates who do well in arts classes.
Capstone performance or portfolio: An important project or show that students must complete before graduating to get the State Seal of Fine Arts.

Limits and Unknowns

The law does not specify how schools should help students meet the requirements for the seal.
It is unclear what specific rules the State Board will make about capstone performances or portfolios.

Bill History

2026-05-15 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-15 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 137.
2026-05-14 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-14 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-13 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-13 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-12 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 34 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-05 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-04 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-04-29 S
Rules suspended. Reported favorably.
2026-04-01 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-03-31 S
Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-03-31 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-03-30 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/31/2026.
2026-03-26 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-25 H
Reported favorably (10-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-02-20 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/20/2026.
2026-02-18 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-02-18 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

SCHOOLS/HIGH SCHOOL: Provides for a State Seal of Fine Arts to recognize high school graduates who meet certain academic eligibility criteria (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 1372026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 201
BY REPRESENTATIVES MCMAKIN AND CHASSION
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:273.5, relative to high school diplomas; to create a State Seal of Fine Arts;
3 to provide for academic eligibility criteria; to provide for requirements of the state
4 superintendent of education, participating school governing authorities, and the State
5 Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:273.5 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §273.5. State Seal of Fine Arts
9 A. The State Seal of Fine Arts, referred to in this Section as the "seal",
10 certifies that a student meets all of the following criteria:
11 (1) Completion of four credits in the same arts discipline, such as music,
12 dance, visual arts, theater, media arts, or culinary arts.
13 (2) A minimum grade point average of 3.00 for the arts credits completed.
14 (3) Completion of an arts-related capstone performance or portfolio.
15 B. The state superintendent of education shall do the following:
16 (1) Prepare and deliver to participating school governing authorities an
17 appropriate insignia to be affixed to the diploma or transcript of a student who has
18 earned the seal.
19 (2) Provide other information he deems necessary for school governing
20 authorities to successfully participate in the seal program.
21 C. A participating public school governing authority shall maintain
22 appropriate records in order to identify students who have earned the seal and affix
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HB NO. 201 ENROLLED
1 the appropriate insignia to the diploma or transcript of each student who earns the
2 seal.
3 D. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall
4 promulgate rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to implement
5 the provisions of this Section, including but not limited to requirements for a
6 capstone performance or portfolio as provided for in Paragraph (A)(3) of this
7 Section.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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