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HB218 • 2026

SCHOOLS: Requires the inclusion of questions pertaining to food insecurity on a residency questionnaire administered to public school students (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

SCHOOLS: Requires the inclusion of questions pertaining to food insecurity on a residency questionnaire administered to public school students (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

Children Education Healthcare Parental Rights
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Vanessa Caston LaFleur
Last action
2026-06-02
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 628
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide details on the protection against lawsuits for schools. This claim was removed as it is not supported by the provided material.

School Questionnaire for Food Insecurity

This act requires Louisiana public schools to include questions about food insecurity on a residency questionnaire and provide information on resources if needed.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the state Department of Education, in consultation with the Department of Health, to add questions about food insecurity to the residency questionnaire for students.
  • Requiring each public school to distribute this questionnaire annually to every student in grades K-12 upon enrollment or change of address, and if there's a reasonable suspicion of food insecurity by school personnel or clinics.
  • If a student shows signs of food insecurity on the questionnaire, schools must give their parents or guardians information about resources like food banks, social services, and school meal programs. If the student is an adult or emancipated minor, the info goes directly to them.
  • Keeps all answers private except when shared with parents/guardians or authorized school staff who need it for providing help.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public school students in Louisiana, especially those in grades K-12.
  • Parents and guardians of public school students.
  • School staff who administer the questionnaire and provide information on resources.
  • The state Department of Education and the Department of Health.

Terms To Know

food insecurity
When someone doesn't have enough food or can't get healthy, safe food regularly.
residency questionnaire
A form that asks about a student's home address and other important details to help schools understand where students live.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act does not specify what happens if parents or guardians do not want their child's information shared.
  • It is unclear how the Department of Health will compile and distribute resource information to schools.
  • The bill only applies to public schools, not charter schools.

Amendments

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

Filed

Plain English: The amendment requires Louisiana's Department of Education to include questions about food insecurity on the residency questionnaire for public school students, which must be distributed annually by each public school.

  • Requires the state Department of Education and the Department of Health to collaborate in including questions about food insecurity on the residency questionnaire.
  • Mandates that every public school distribute this questionnaire annually to all enrolled students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
  • The amendment text does not specify how often or under what circumstances schools must provide information on resources and services to parents or guardians based on the questionnaire responses.
  • It is unclear if there are specific penalties for non-compliance with these requirements.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment removes a comma and the phrase 'the school' from specific lines in the bill text.

  • Removes a comma at the end of line 19 on page 1.
  • Deletes the words 'the school' at the beginning of line 1 on page 2.
  • The amendment does not provide enough context to explain how these changes will affect the overall meaning or implementation of the bill.
Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB218 224 2372 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Education to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB218 224 2372 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Education to Original House Bill No.
  • 218 by Representative LaFleur 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 2, after "student" delete the reminder of the line and delete lines 3 through 3 6 and insert the following: 4 "questionnaires; to provide for the inclusion of questions pertaining to food insecurity on a 5 residency questionnaire; to provide for the administration of the questionnaire; to provide 6 for the confidentiality of responses; to provide for information on resources and services; to 7 provide for applicability; to provide a limitation of liability; and to provide for related 8 matters" 9 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 10 On page 1, at the end of line 9, delete "screening programs" and delete lines 10 through 20 11 and on page 2, delete lines 1 through 3 and insert the following: 12 "A.(1) The state Department of Education, in consultation with the Louisiana 13 Department of Health, shall include questions pertaining to food insecurity on the 14 residency questionnaire administered for purposes of the federal McKinney-Vento 15 Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act.
Draft

Plain English: The amendment requires public schools to include questions about food insecurity on a residency questionnaire and provides guidelines for distributing the questionnaire, handling responses confidentially, and offering resources to students who need help with food security.

  • Adds requirements for including questions about food insecurity in residency questionnaires given to students.
  • Specifies that these questionnaires must be distributed when students enroll or change addresses, or if there's a suspicion of food insecurity.
  • Ensures confidentiality of student responses and mandates schools to provide information on available resources like public assistance and school meal programs.
  • Adds protections for schools against liability unless the actions are due to willful misconduct.
  • The amendment text does not specify all details about how the questionnaire should be designed or what specific questions it must include.
Filed

Plain English: The amendment to HB218 requires public schools to include questions about food insecurity in the residency questionnaire given to students.

  • Public school residency questionnaires must now ask about food insecurity.
  • The official text does not provide details on how these questions should be formulated or what actions will follow from their responses, limiting a full explanation of the amendment's practical implementation.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes how often schools must include questions about food insecurity in their residency questionnaires and removes some existing text related to these questions.

  • Changes the frequency from unspecified to annually, meaning schools will now ask about food insecurity every year instead of at an undefined interval.
  • Removes lines that were previously part of the bill regarding food insecurity questions.
  • The exact content and nature of the removed text are not provided in the amendment details.
Draft

Plain English: SCAHB218 428 3770 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Education to Reengrossed House Bill No.

  • SCAHB218 428 3770 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Education to Reengrossed House Bill No.
  • 218 by Representative LaFleur 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 14, after "shall" insert "annually" 3 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 4 On page 1, delete lines 18 through 19 5 AMENDMENT NO.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-02 H

    Effective date: 08/01/2026.

  2. 2026-06-02 H

    Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 628.

  3. 2026-06-01 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  4. 2026-06-01 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  5. 2026-05-31 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  6. 2026-05-29 H

    Read by title, roll called, yeas 93, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.

  7. 2026-05-27 H

    Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.

  8. 2026-05-26 H

    Received from the Senate with amendments.

  9. 2026-05-25 S

    Rules suspended. The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  10. 2026-05-20 S

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

  11. 2026-05-19 S

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

  12. 2026-05-18 S

    Reported with amendments.

  13. 2026-04-07 S

    Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.

  14. 2026-04-01 S

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

  15. 2026-03-31 H

    Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 91, nays 8. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  16. 2026-03-30 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 03/31/2026.

  17. 2026-03-26 H

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

  18. 2026-03-25 H

    Reported with amendments (12-0).

  19. 2026-03-09 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.

  20. 2026-02-20 H

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

  21. 2026-02-19 H

    Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.

  22. 2026-02-19 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

SCHOOLS: Requires the inclusion of questions pertaining to food insecurity on a residency questionnaire administered to public school students (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED
ACT No. 6282026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 218
BY REPRESENTATIVES LAFLEUR, BOYD, BRASS, CARPENTER, CARVER,
CHASSION, ECHOLS, EDMONSTON, FISHER, FREEMAN, FREIBERG,
GREEN, DANA HENRY, JACKSON, MIKE JOHNSON, JORDAN, KNOX,
TERRY LANDRY, LARVADAIN, LYONS, MARCELLE, MARTINEZ,
MURRAY, TAYLOR, WALTERS, AND YOUNG
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:2113 and 3996(B)(24), relative to student questionnaires; to provide for the
3 inclusion of questions pertaining to food insecurity on a residency questionnaire; to
4 provide for the administration of the questionnaire; to provide for the confidentiality
5 of responses; to provide for information on resources and services; to provide for
6 applicability; to provide a limitation of liability; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 17:2113 and 3996(B)(24) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 §2113. Food insecurity
10 A.(1) The state Department of Education, in consultation with the Louisiana
11 Department of Health, shall include questions pertaining to food insecurity on the
12 residency questionnaire administered for purposes of the federal McKinney-Vento
13 Homeless Children and Youth Assistance Act.
14 (2) Each public school shall annually distribute the questionnaire to each
15 student in grades kindergarten through twelve upon enrollment, change of address,
16 and reasonable suspicion of food insecurity by school personnel or school-based
17 health clinics.
18 B.(1) If the questionnaire responses indicate that a student is at risk for food
19 insecurity, the school shall provide the parents or legal guardian information on
Page 1 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 218 ENROLLED
1 federal, state, community, and school resources and services that may be available,
2 including but not limited to public assistance applications, social services,
3 community food banks and food pantries, and school meal programs and food
4 pantries. For any emancipated minor or student who has reached the age of majority,
5 the school shall provide the information directly to the student.
6 (2) The information on federal, state, and community resources shall be
7 compiled by the Louisiana Department of Health, which shall provide the
8 information to each school at no cost to the school or its school board.
9 C. Responses to the questionnaire shall remain confidential except for
10 disclosure to a student's parent or legal guardian or to the student if he has reached
11 the age of majority or is an emancipated minor and to authorized school personnel
12 responsible for the provision of information as provided in Subsection B of this
13 Section.
14 D. No school employee shall use questionnaire responses to make any
15 decision relating to student instruction, academic opportunities, or discipline.
16 E. No school board or employee thereof shall be liable for damages in a civil
17 action for injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly arises from an act
18 or omission associated with the provisions of this Section unless the act or omission
19 constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.
20 * * *
21 §3996. Charter schools; exemptions; requirements
22 * * *
23 B. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and
24 except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a
25 charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this
26 Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be
27 exempt from all statutory mandates or other statutory requirements that are
28 applicable to public schools and to public school officers and employees except for
29 the following laws otherwise applicable to public schools with the same grades:
30 * * *
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 218 ENROLLED
1 (24) Food insecurity questions on residency questionnaire, R.S. 17:2113.
2 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.