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HLS 26RS-148 ENGROSSED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 223
BY REPRESENTATIVE MILLER
SUNSET LAW: Re-creates the Department of Children and Family Services
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 49:191(3)(b) and to repeal R.S. 49:191(1)(h), relative to the Department of
3 Children and Family Services, including provisions to provide for the re-creation of
4 the Department of Children and Family Services and the statutory entities made a
5 part of the department by law; to provide for the effective termination date for all
6 statutory authority for the existence of such statutory entities; to provide for an
7 effective date; and to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. Pursuant to R.S. 49:193, the Department of Children and Family Services
10 and the statutory entities made a part of the department by law shall be re-created effective
11 June 30, 2026, and all statutory authority therefor is continued in accordance with the
12 provisions of Part XII of Chapter 1 of Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
13 Section 2. All statutory authority for the existence of the Department of Children and
14 Family Services and the statutory entities made a part of the department as re-created by
15 Section 1 of this Act shall cease as of July 1, 2031, pursuant to R.S. 49:191. However, the
16 Department of Children and Family Services may be re-created prior to such date in
17 accordance with the provisions of Part XII of Chapter 1 of Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised
18 Statutes of 1950.
19 Section 3. The provisions of R.S. 49:193 are hereby superseded to the extent that
20 those provisions are in conflict with the provisions of this Act.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-148 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 223
1 Section 4. R.S. 49:191(3)(b) is hereby enacted 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 (3) July 1, 2030:
11 * * *
12 (b) The Department of Children and Family Services and all statutory
13 entities made a part of the department by law.
14 * * *
15 Section 5. R.S. 49:191(1)(h) is hereby repealed in its entirety.
16 Section 6. This Act shall become effective on June 30, 2026; if vetoed by the
17 governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become effective on
18 June 30, 2026, or on the day following such approval by the legislature, whichever is later.
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 223 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Miller
Abstract: Re-creates the Dept. of Children and Family Services for four more years.
Present law (Sunset) provides that the Dept. of Children and Family Services and all the
statutory entities made a part of that department by law shall begin to terminate their
operations on July 1, 2026, and that all legislative authority for such entities shall cease as
of July 1, 2027, unless the legislature enacts a bill authorizing the re-creation of the
department and its statutory entities prior thereto.
Proposed law provides for the general re-creation of the Dept. of Children and Family
Services and its statutory entities, effective June 30, 2026, in accordance with the sunset law.
Proposed law sets out the procedure for review and re-creation, which require a separate bill
to re-create each statutory entity within the department along with additional provisions.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-148 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 223
Proposed law makes July 1, 2031, the new termination date and provides that termination
would begin July 1, 2030, unless the department is again re-created.
Effective June 30, 2026.
(Adds R.S. 49:191(3)(b); Repeals R.S. 49:191(1)(h))
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.