HIGHER EDUCATION: Provides relative to initial eligibility requirements for the M.J. Foster Promise Program (EN -$1,100,000 SD EX See Note)

Education

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Ed Larvadain III
Last action: 2026-06-01
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 642
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill specifies a minimum age of twenty-one years old in the 2026-2027 award year, not eighteen as initially stated.

M.J. Foster Promise Program Age Requirements

This act changes the age requirements for students to be eligible for the M.J. Foster Promise Program in Louisiana, starting with a minimum age of twenty-one years old in the 2026-2027 award year.

What This Bill Does

Changes the initial eligibility age requirement for applicants to the M.J. Foster Promise Program starting from the 2026-2027 award year, making them at least twenty-one years old.
Requires the administering agency of the program to report on various aspects of the program by January 1, 2028.

Who It Names or Affects

Students applying to the M.J. Foster Promise Program in Louisiana starting from the 2026-2027 award year.
The administering agency responsible for reporting on the program's performance.

Terms To Know

M.J. Foster Promise Program: A higher education scholarship program in Louisiana that provides financial assistance to eligible students.
Award year: The academic year during which a student can apply for and receive the M.J. Foster Promise Program benefits.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if minimum age requirements are modified or allowed to expire after the initial report.
It is unclear how changes in eligibility will affect current recipients of the program.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

House Floor Amendment #3056 Larvadain Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HFAHB407 224 3056 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Larvadain to Engrossed House Bill No.

HFAHB407 224 3056 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Larvadain to Engrossed House Bill No.
407 by Representative Larvadain 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, line 9, after "be" and before "eligible" change "initially" to "initially" Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

House Committee Amendment #2902 EDUC Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: HCAHB407 3391 2902 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Education to Original House Bill No.

HCAHB407 3391 2902 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Education to Original House Bill No.
407 by Representative Larvadain 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, line 4, after "age" and before "and" delete "requirement;" and insert 3 "requirements; to require reporting; to provide for effectiveness;" 4 AMENDMENT NO.
2 5 On page 1, delete lines 10 through 16 and insert the following: 6 "(1)(a) Meet the following minimum age requirements: 7 (a) (i) Be at least twenty years old in the 2024-2025 award year.

House Committee Amendment #2776 EDUC Draft

Draft

Plain English: HCAHB407 3391 2776 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Education to Original House Bill No.

HCAHB407 3391 2776 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Education to Original House Bill No.
407 by Representative Larvadain 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, line 4, after "age" and before "and" delete "requirement;" and insert 3 "requirements; to require reporting; to provide for effectiveness;" 4 AMENDMENT NO.
2 5 On page 1, delete lines 10 through 16 and insert the following: 6 "(1)(a) Meet the following minimum age requirements: 7 (a) (i) Be at least twenty years old in the 2024-2025 award year.

Bill History

2026-06-01 H
Effective date: 07/01/2026.
2026-06-01 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 642.
2026-05-29 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-28 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-28 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-28 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-27 S
Read by title, passed by a vote of 34 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-26 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-25 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-21 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-14 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-04-13 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-08 H
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 2. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-04-07 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/08/2026.
2026-04-01 H
Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-03-31 H
Reported with amendments (12-2).
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.
2026-02-25 H
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.
2026-02-25 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

HIGHER EDUCATION: Provides relative to initial eligibility requirements for the M.J. Foster Promise Program (EN -$1,100,000 SD EX See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 6422026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 407
BY REPRESENTATIVE LARVADAIN
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 17:3047.2(A)(1), relative to the M.J. Foster Promise Program;
3 to provide relative to initial eligibility requirements for the program; to revise the
4 initial age requirements; to require reporting; to provide for effectiveness; and to
5 provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:3047.2(A)(1) is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
8 §3047.2. Initial eligibility
9 A. To be initially eligible for the award, an applicant shall meet the
10 following requirements:
11 (1)(a) Meet the following minimum age requirements:
12 (a) (i) Be at least twenty years old in the 2024-2025 award year.
13 (b) (ii) Be at least nineteen years old in the 2025-2026 award year.
14 (c) (iii) Be at least eighteen twenty-one years old in the 2026-2027 award
15 year. and 2027-2028 award years.
16 (d) (iv) Be at least seventeen eighteen years old in the 2027-2028 2028-2029
17 award year and thereafter.
18 (v) Be at least seventeen years old in the 2029-2030 award year and
19 thereafter.
20 (b) A recipient who is initially eligible pursuant to Item (a)(i) or (a)(ii) of this
21 Paragraph shall continue to be eligible, so long as the recipient meets all other
22 requirements of R.S. 17:3047.3.
23 * * *
24 Section 2. The administering agency of the M.J. Foster Promise Program shall
25 submit a report to the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 407 ENROLLED
1 Education no later than January 1, 2028, that includes but need not be limited to the
2 following information relative to the program since its enactment:
3 (1) The number of award applicants and recipients.
4 (2) The average age of recipients.
5 (3) The fiscal impact of the minimum age requirements.
6 (4) Any projected cost savings or reallocations within the program.
7 (5) Recommendations relative to whether minimum age requirements should be
8 continued, modified, or allowed to expire.
9 Section 3. The provisions of this Act shall become effective on July 1, 2026.
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.