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ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 406
BY REPRESENTATIVE MIKE JOHNSON
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:176.3, relative to interscholastic high school athletics; to require the state
3 Department of Education to conduct a study on the direction and regulation of
4 interscholastic high school athletics; to require certain study components; to require
5 the department to submit a written report to certain legislative committees; to
6 provide a report submission deadline; to provide for legislative findings; and to
7 provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1.(A) The legislature finds and declares that the direction and regulation of
10 interscholastic high school athletics is a public purpose that should be conducted in a
11 transparent manner that is fair for all students. The legislature further finds and declares that
12 all laws, rules, and regulations relative to interscholastic high school athletics should align
13 with academic priorities and foster an environment that places education at the forefront.
14 (B) The legislature finds and declares that House Concurrent Resolution No. 24 of
15 the 2025 Regular Session of the Legislature created a special committee of the legislature
16 to conduct a comprehensive study of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association's
17 policies, governance structure, and impact on public, private, and parochial schools and
18 provided for the submission of a report of findings and recommendations to the House
19 Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education not later than February
20 14, 2026.
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1 (C) The legislature finds and declares that over the course of six months of meetings,
2 the committee heard substantial testimony, received evidence, and discussed a wide variety
3 of issues pertaining to interscholastic high school athletics, including the significant
4 challenges associated with having high school athletics directed and regulated by a private
5 entity that is not subject to laws applicable to public entities such as the laws pertaining to
6 audit by the legislative auditor, the Open Meetings Law, and the Public Records Law and
7 whose rules are not subject to legislative oversight and have the potential to be inconsistently
8 applied with no recourse by parents, student-athletes, school systems, or the legislature. The
9 committee found that the current governance structure can be devoid of elements of fairness,
10 consistency, and compliance with the governing association's own regulations, which is
11 detrimental to the elements of fairness and structure that Louisiana's students, schools, and
12 parents deserve.
13 (D) The legislature finds and declares that the committee unanimously adopted the
14 recommendation that interscholastic high school athletics be regulated and directed through
15 a cooperative endeavor agreement between the state Department of Education and a
16 nonprofit corporation as provided in an Act of the legislature.
17 (E) The legislature finds and declares that further study by the state Department of
18 Education is needed for the purpose of advising the legislature about the potential
19 implementation and impact of such an agreement in order to inform legislation to be filed
20 during the 2027 Regular Session of the Legislature.
21 Section 2. R.S. 17:176.3 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
22 §176.3. Interscholastic high school athletics; direction and regulation; study; report
23 A. The state Department of Education shall conduct a study on the feasibility
24 of the direction and regulation of interscholastic high school athletics through a
25 cooperative endeavor agreement with a nonprofit corporation which would be
26 subject to the basic tenets of fairness, impartiality, and responsiveness expected by
27 the state for the benefit of student athletes.
28 B. The department shall conduct the study based on all of the following
29 assumptions:
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1 (1) That such cooperative endeavor agreement would be subject to rules that
2 the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, referred to in this Section
3 as the "state board", would adopt for such purpose.
4 (2) That the nonprofit corporation would be subject to audit by the legislative
5 auditor, the Open Meetings Law, and the Public Records Law, any exceptions to
6 which regarding the confidentiality of student information would apply.
7 (3) That all interscholastic high school athletic competitions for public high
8 schools and nonpublic high schools that receive state funds would be conducted in
9 accordance with the provisions of applicable state law, state board rules, and the
10 provisions of the cooperative endeavor agreement.
11 (4) That the provisions of the cooperative endeavor agreement would
12 include, at a minimum, regulations pertaining to eligibility, student health and safety,
13 penalties, appeals, administration, and game play.
14 (5) That no public high school or nonpublic high school that receives state
15 funds would be permitted to be a member of, or participate in any competition
16 sponsored by, any intrastate interscholastic extracurricular athletic association or
17 organization.
18 (6) That the direction and regulation of interscholastic high school athletics
19 in this manner would apply beginning with the 2028-2029 school year.
20 C. The department shall submit a written report of findings and conclusions
21 to the House Committee on Education, the House Committee on Appropriations, the
22 Senate Committee on Education, and the Senate Committee on Finance not later than
23 March 1, 2027, that shall include, at a minimum, the following:
24 (1) Potential nonprofit corporations with which to execute such a cooperative
25 endeavor agreement.
26 (2) A plan of action and potential timeline for how such a cooperative
27 endeavor agreement would be implemented beginning with the 2028-2029 school
28 year.
29 (3) Funding and cost considerations.
30 (4) Transitional considerations.
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1 (5) Recommendations relative to legislation necessary to fully implement the
2 direction and regulation of interscholastic athletics through such a cooperative
3 endeavor agreement.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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