CHILDREN/DCFS: Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to obtain background checks on all employees (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)

Children Labor

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Stephanie Berault
Last action: 2026-05-28
Official status: Sent to Governor
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Background Checks for DCFS Employees

This bill requires the Department of Children and Family Services to conduct background checks on all employees.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to check the criminal history of all current and future employees.
Adds a requirement for DCFS to review the state central registry for any reports of abuse or neglect against potential and existing employees.

Who It Names or Affects

All current and future employees of the Department of Children and Family Services in Louisiana.

Terms To Know

Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS): A government agency that provides services to children and families, including child welfare and protection.
Central Registry: A database containing reports of abuse or neglect against individuals who work with children in Louisiana.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify what happens if an employee fails a background check.
It is unclear how the Department will handle appeals from employees whose names are on the central registry and face termination.

Amendments

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

Summary of Senate Amendments to HB420

Filed

Plain English: The amendment requires the Department of Children and Family Services to conduct criminal background checks on all employees, not just those with specific duties involving children.

Expands the requirement for conducting criminal background checks from only certain positions within DCFS to all current and prospective employees.

The exact details of how these background checks will be conducted are not specified in this amendment text.

Fiscal Note - HB420 Engrossed With Senate Cmte Amendments

Filed

Plain English: Filed 4

The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.

House Vote on HB 420 CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENTS (#1467)

Filed

Plain English: The amendment requires the Department of Children and Family Services to obtain background checks on all employees.

Adds a requirement for the Department of Children and Family Services to conduct background checks on its employees.

The official text does not provide details about what kind of background checks or how they will be conducted, which limits understanding of the full scope of this amendment.

Senate Committee Amendment #3307 H&W Adopted

Adopted

Plain English: SCAHB420 3005 3307 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to Engrossed House Bill No.

SCAHB420 3005 3307 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to Engrossed House Bill No.
420 by Representative Berault 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, line 3, change "R.S.
36:474(B)(1)(a)(iv)" to "R.S.

Senate Committee Amendment #3268 H&W Draft

Draft

Plain English: SCAHB420 3005 3268 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to Engrossed House Bill No.

SCAHB420 3005 3268 SENATE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Senate Committee on Health and Welfare to Engrossed House Bill No.
420 by Representative Berault 1 AMENDMENT NO.
1 2 On page 1, line 3, change "R.S.
36:474(B)(1)(a)(iv)" to "R.S.

Bill History

2026-05-28 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-27 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-27 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-26 H
Read by title, roll called, yeas 99, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
2026-05-25 H
Scheduled for concurrence on 05/26/2026.
2026-05-19 H
Received from the Senate with amendments.
2026-05-18 S
Rules suspended. The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-11 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-07 S
Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-06 S
Reported with amendments.
2026-04-14 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
2026-04-13 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-09 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 1. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-04-08 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/09/2026.
2026-04-07 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-04-01 H
Reported favorably (9-0).
2026-03-09 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
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 Health and Welfare.
2026-02-25 H
Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

CHILDREN/DCFS: Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to obtain background checks on all employees (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 420
BY REPRESENTATIVE BERAULT
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 36:474(B)(1)(a)(introductory paragraph) and R.S. 46:51.2
3 (A)(1)(introductory paragraph) and (2) and to enact R.S. 36:474(A)(10), relative to
4 employees of the Department of Children and Family Services; to provide for hiring
5 requirements; to require a criminal background check; to require review of the
6 central registry; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 36:474(B)(1)(a)(introductory paragraph) is hereby amended and
9 reenacted and R.S. 36:474(A)(10) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §474. Powers and duties of the secretary of the Department of Children and Family
11 Services
12 A. In addition to the functions, powers, and duties otherwise vested in the
13 secretary by law, he shall:
14 * * *
15 (10) Conduct a criminal background check and a search of the state central
16 registry of substantiated abuse or neglect reports for all employees and prospective
17 employees of the department in accordance with R.S. 46:51.2.
18 * * *
19 B. The secretary shall have authority to:
20 (1)(a) Except as otherwise specifically provided in R.S. 36:801 and 802.9:
21 * * *
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 420 ENROLLED
1 Section 2. R.S. 46:51.2(A)(1)(introductory paragraph) and (2) are hereby amended
2 and reenacted to read as follows:
3 §51.2. Criminal history and central registry information
4 A.(1) No person shall be hired by the department whose duties include the
5 investigation of child abuse or neglect, supervisory or disciplinary authority over
6 children, direct care of a child, or performance of licensing surveys, until both the
7 following conditions are met:
8 * * *
9 (2) Any employee of the department whose duties include the investigation
10 of child abuse or neglect, supervisory or disciplinary authority over children, direct
11 care of a child, or performance of licensing surveys and whose name is recorded on
12 the state central registry subsequent to January 1, 2010, shall be terminated by the
13 department. A permanent classified employee shall not be terminated until he has
14 exhausted his administrative appeal rights pursuant to Children's Code Article
15 616.1.1.
16 * * *
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.