HB363 • 2026

STUDENTS: Authorizes students enrolled in virtual schools to participate in public school activities

Education

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Jacob Landry
Last action: 2026-05-29
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 545
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on the impact of this act on organizations running competitions, so this claim was removed.

Students Can Join School Activities

This act allows students enrolled in virtual schools to participate in extracurricular activities and sports at their local public school, provided they meet the same requirements as regular public school students.

What This Bill Does

Allows students from virtual schools to join clubs, teams, and other activities at the public school they would normally attend based on where they live.
Requires these students to follow the same rules as regular public school students for joining and staying in extracurricular activities or sports teams.

Who It Names or Affects

Students enrolled in virtual schools
Public schools where these students would normally attend based on residence

Terms To Know

Virtual School: A school that provides education through online classes and other digital means.
Extracurricular Activities: Clubs, sports teams, or other activities outside of regular classroom learning.

Limits and Unknowns

The act only applies to students who live in the attendance area of a public school.
It does not change how virtual schools operate or fund these activities for their students.

Bill History

2026-05-29 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-29 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 545.
2026-05-26 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-25 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-25 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-25 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-21 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 33 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-13 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-12 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-11 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 88, nays 6. 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.
2026-02-24 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-02-24 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

STUDENTS: Authorizes students enrolled in virtual schools to participate in public school activities

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 5452026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 363
BY REPRESENTATIVES JACOB LANDRY, AMEDEE, CARRIER, CHASSION,
DESHOTEL, EDMONSTON, FREIBERG, MIKE JOHNSON, TERRY LANDRY,
MARTINEZ, SCHLEGEL, AND TAYLOR
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:176.2, relative to students enrolled in virtual schools; to
3 authorize students enrolled in virtual schools to participate in public school activities
4 at the public school they would otherwise attend based on their residence; to specify
5 that such activities include extracurricular activities and interscholastic athletics; and
6 to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 17:176.2 is hereby amended to read as follows:
9 §176.2. Extracurricular activities; interscholastic athletics; participation by home
10 study students and virtual school students
11 A. A public school shall not disqualify a student from participating in
12 extracurricular activities or interscholastic athletics solely because the student is
13 enrolled in an approved home study program, so long as program or virtual school
14 if the student lives in the attendance zone of the public school.
15 (1) A student who is enrolled in an approved home study program or virtual
16 school shall try out or apply for extracurricular activities or interscholastic athletics
17 at the public school in the same manner, time, and place as the students who attend
18 the public school.
19 (2) After the try out or application, should the approved home study student
20 meet the qualifications for an extracurricular activities club or an interscholastic
21 athletics team, the approved home study student shall be required to maintain all
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 363 ENROLLED
1 requirements for participation that a public school student enrolled in that public
2 school would have to meet in order to participate in the extracurricular activity or the
3 interscholastic athletics activity, including but not limited to maintaining a minimum
4 grade point average and complying with disciplinary standards. Failure to meet the
5 requirements with respect to a minimum grade point average or failure to adhere to
6 the disciplinary standards shall be grounds for the school to remove the approved
7 home study student from participation in the extracurricular activities club or the
8 interscholastic athletics team.
9 B. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, no public school may be
10 a member of, or participate in any competition sponsored by, any interscholastic
11 extracurricular athletic association or organization that denies eligibility to a student
12 solely on the basis of the student's enrollment in an approved home study program
13 or virtual school.
14 C. For purposes of this Section:
15 (1) "Approved home study program" means a home study program approved
16 as provided for in R.S. 17:236.1.
17 (2) "Virtual school" shall be defined as in R.S. 17:236.3.
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.