EMPLOYMENT: Provides for unpaid leave for employees who are domestic abuse survivors (OR NO IMPACT See Note)

HLS 26RS-1082 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 390
BY REPRESENTATIVE WALTERS
EMPLOYMENT: Provides for unpaid leave for employees who are domestic abuse
survivors
1 AN ACT
2 To enact Part VIII of Chapter 9 of Title 23 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be
3 comprised of R.S. 23:1006.1, relative to unpaid leave for domestic abuse survivors;
4 to provide a time frame for the unpaid leave; to provide circumstances for when
5 unpaid leave can be used; to allow employers to request certain documentation as
6 reasons for why leave is needed; to prohibit retaliatory employment actions; and to
7 provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. Part VIII of Chapter 9 of Title 23 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of
10 1950, comprised of R.S. 23:1006.1, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
11 PART VIII. UNPAID LEAVE FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SURVIVORS
12 §1006.1. Unpaid leave for employed domestic abuse survivors
13 A. An employer shall allow an employee to take up to three working days
14 of unpaid leave from work in any twelve-month period if the employee is subjected
15 to domestic abuse and if the leave is for any of the following reasons:
16 (1) To seek medical care or mental health counseling for the employee to
17 recover from physical or psychological injury or disability caused by the domestic
18 abuse.
19 (2) To obtain services from a victim service organization, including but not
20 limited to a domestic abuse shelter or program.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1082 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 390
1 (3) To obtain psychological or other counseling.
2 (4) To allow the employee the opportunity to temporarily or permanently
3 relocate.
4 (5) To take legal action, including but not limited to preparing for or
5 participating in any civil or criminal legal proceeding related to or resulting from the
6 domestic abuse.
7 B. An employer may request an employee seeking leave required by this
8 Section to provide any of the following:
9 (1) Confirmation of a scheduled appointment from a licensed counselor,
10 healthcare provider, or attorney.
11 (2) A protective order.
12 (3) A police report.
13 (4) A summons to appear in court for a civil or criminal proceeding.
14 C. An employer shall not discharge, demote, suspend, retaliate, or in any
15 other manner discriminate against an employee for exercising the employee's right
16 to take leave as provided by this Section.
17 D. This Section shall apply only to an employer who employs fifty or more
18 employees.
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 390 Original 2026 Regular Session Walters
Abstract: Requires certain employers to grant unpaid leave for employees who are
domestic abuse survivors.
Proposed law requires an employer to allow an employee to take up to three working days
of unpaid leave from work in any 12-month period, if the employee is a survivor of domestic
abuse and the leave is used for any of the following reasons:
(1) To seek medical care or mental health counseling for the employee to recover
from physical or psychological injury or disability caused by the domestic
abuse.
(2) To obtain services from a victim service organization, including but not
limited to a domestic abuse shelter or program.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1082 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 390
(3) To obtain psychological or other counseling.
(4) To allow the employee the opportunity to temporarily or permanently
relocate.
(5) To take legal action, including but not limited to preparing for or
participating in any civil or criminal proceeding related to or resulting from
the domestic abuse.
Proposed law allows an employer to request from an employee seeking leave any of the
following:
(1) Confirmation of a scheduled appointment from a licensed counselor,
healthcare provider, or attorney.
(2) A protective order.
(3) A police report.
(4) A summons to appear in court for a civil or criminal proceeding.
Proposed law prohibits an employer from discharging, demoting, suspending, retaliating, or
in any other manner discriminating against an employee for exercising the employee's right
to take leave as provided by proposed law.
Proposed law provides that proposed law applies only to an employer who employs 50 or
more employees.
(Adds R.S. 23:1006.1)
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.