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HLS 26RS-647 REENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 218
BY REPRESENTATIVES LAFLEUR, CARPENTER, CARVER, EDMONSTON,
FREIBERG, MARTINEZ, AND TAYLOR
SCHOOLS: Requires the inclusion of questions pertaining to food insecurity on a residency
questionnaire administered to public school students
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 distribute the questionnaire to each student in
15 grades kindergarten through twelve upon enrollment, change of address, and
16 reasonable suspicion of food insecurity by school personnel or school-based health
17 clinics.
18 (3) Each school that does not provide a free school lunch program or
19 participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision universal lunch program
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1 shall also provide the questionnaire each school year to each student who is
2 classified as economically disadvantaged as defined by the State Board of
3 Elementary and Secondary Education for purposes of the minimum foundation
4 program.
5 B.(1) If the questionnaire responses indicate that a student is at risk for food
6 insecurity, the school shall provide the parents or legal guardian information on
7 federal, state, community, and school resources and services that may be available,
8 including but not limited to public assistance applications, social services,
9 community food banks and food pantries, and school meal programs and food
10 pantries. For any emancipated minor or student who has reached the age of majority,
11 the school shall provide the information directly to the student.
12 (2) The information on federal, state, and community resources shall be
13 compiled by the Louisiana Department of Health, which shall provide the
14 information to each school at no cost to the school or its school board.
15 C. Responses to the questionnaire shall remain confidential except for
16 disclosure to a student's parent or legal guardian or to the student if he has reached
17 the age of majority or is an emancipated minor and to authorized school personnel
18 responsible for the provision of information as provided in Subsection B of this
19 Section.
20 D. No school employee shall use questionnaire responses to make any
21 decision relating to student instruction, academic opportunities, or discipline.
22 E. No school board or employee thereof shall be liable for damages in a civil
23 action for injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly arises from an act
24 or omission associated with the provisions of this Section unless the act or omission
25 constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.
26 * * *
27 §3996. Charter schools; exemptions; requirements
28 * * *
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1 B. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and
2 except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a
3 charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this
4 Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be
5 exempt from all statutory mandates or other statutory requirements that are
6 applicable to public schools and to public school officers and employees except for
7 the following laws otherwise applicable to public schools with the same grades:
8 * * *
9 (24) Food insecurity questions on residency questionnaire, R.S. 17:2113.
10 * * *
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 218 Reengrossed 2026 Regular Session LaFleur
Abstract: Requires the inclusion of questions pertaining to food insecurity on a residency
questionnaire administered to public school students.
Proposed law:
(1) Requires the state Dept. of Education (DOE), in consultation with the La. Dept. of
Health (LDH), to include questions pertaining to food insecurity on the residency
questionnaire administered for purposes of federal law.
(2) Requires each public school to distribute the questionnaire to each student in grades
K-12 upon enrollment, change of address, and reasonable suspicion of food
insecurity by school personnel or school-based health clinics.
(3) Requires each school that does not provide a free school lunch program or participate
in the federal Community Eligibility Provision universal lunch program to also
provide the questionnaire each school year to each student who is classified as
economically disadvantaged as defined by the State Bd. of Elementary and
Secondary Education.
(4) Provides that if the responses indicate that a student is at risk for food insecurity, the
school shall provide the parents or legal guardian information on federal, state,
community, and school resources and services that may be available.
(5) Requires the information on federal, state, and community resources to be compiled
by LDH, which shall provide the information to each school at no cost to the school
or its school board.
(6) Requires that responses remain confidential except for disclosure to a student's
parent or legal guardian or to the student if he has reached the age of majority or is
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HLS 26RS-647 REENGROSSED
HB NO. 218
an emancipated minor and to authorized school personnel responsible for the
provision of the information as required by proposed law.
(7) Prohibits school employees from using the responses to make any decision relating
to student instruction, academic opportunities, or discipline.
(8) Provide that no school board or employee thereof shall be liable for damages in a
civil action for injury, death, or loss to person or property that allegedly arises from
an act or omission associated with proposed law unless the act or omission
constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.
Proposed law is applicable to all public schools, including charter schools.
(Adds R.S. 17:2113 and 3996(B)(24))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the
original bill:
1. Instead of requiring schools to administer a food insecurity screening to students,
require the state Dept. of Education to include questions pertaining to food
insecurity on the residency questionnaire administered for federal law purposes
(the McKinney-Vento Act).
2. Add that the information on federal, state, and community resources shall be
compiled by the La. Dept. of Health, which shall provide it to each school at no
cost to the school boards.
3. Add a limitation of liability for school boards and school employees.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.