HB256 • 2026

SCHOOLS/EMPLOYEES: Provides that school employees are subject to existing requirements pertaining to mandatory reporters, including certain training provided by the Department of Children and Family Services

Children Education Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Aimee Adatto Freeman
Last action: 2026-05-27
Official status: Sent to Governor
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on enforcement mechanisms or consequences for non-compliance by school employees.

School Employees as Mandatory Reporters

This bill makes school employees subject to the same mandatory reporting requirements and training provided by the Department of Children and Family Services that apply to other professionals who work with children.

What This Bill Does

Makes sure school employees must follow rules about being a 'mandatory reporter' when they see signs of child abuse or neglect.
Requires these employees to get special training from the Department of Children and Family Services on how to spot and report child safety issues.

Who It Names or Affects

School employees who work with children
The Department of Children and Family Services

Terms To Know

Mandatory Reporter: A person required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the proper authorities.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if school employees do not follow these new rules.
It is unclear how this will be enforced in charter schools, which usually have different regulations from public schools.

Bill History

2026-05-27 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-26 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-26 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-26 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-25 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-20 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-19 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-18 S
Reported favorably.
2026-03-31 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-03-30 S
Received in the Senate. Rules suspended. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-03-30 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 99, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-03-26 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 03/30/2026.
2026-03-25 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-24 H
Reported favorably (14-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-02-27 H
First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.
2026-02-23 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-02-23 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

SCHOOLS/EMPLOYEES: Provides that school employees are subject to existing requirements pertaining to mandatory reporters, including certain training provided by the Department of Children and Family Services

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 256
BY REPRESENTATIVES FREEMAN, BAYHAM, CARVER, CHASSION,
EDMONSTON, FREIBERG, KNOX, LAFLEUR, LYONS, MARTINEZ, MOORE,
MURRAY, SCHLEGEL, TAYLOR, THOMPSON, AND WALTERS
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:421 and 3996(B)(24), relative to school employees; to provide for the
3 applicability of laws relative to mandatory reporters to certain school employees; to
4 provide relative to certain training provided by the Department of Children and
5 Family Services; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:421 and 3996(B)(24) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §421. School employees; mandatory reporting requirements
9 Each school employee who is a mandatory reporter as defined in Children's
10 Code Article 603 is subject to all provisions of state law relative to mandatory
11 reporters, including but not limited to the training and reporting requirements for
12 teaching or child care providers provided in Children's Code Article 603.1.
13 * * *
14 §3996. Charter schools; exemptions; requirements
15 * * *
16 B. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and
17 except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a
18 charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this
19 Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be
20 exempt from all statutory mandates or other statutory requirements that are
21 applicable to public schools and to public school officers and employees except for
22 the following laws otherwise applicable to public schools with the same grades:
23 * * *
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 256 ENROLLED
1 (24) Mandatory reporter requirements, R.S. 17:421.
2 * * *
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.