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HB476 • 2026

SCHOOLS: Requires each public secondary school to display flyers about the Safe Haven Law in restrooms (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)

SCHOOLS: Requires each public secondary school to display flyers about the Safe Haven Law in restrooms (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)

Children Education
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Kellee Dickerson
Last action
2026-05-28
Official status
Sent to Governor
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not specify what happens if schools fail to comply with these requirements.

Flyers about Safe Haven Law in Schools

This bill requires public middle and high schools to display flyers with information about the Safe Haven Law in restrooms.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires each public school that has students from grade seven through twelve to put up flyers designed by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.
  • Specifies that the content of these flyers must include a summary of the Safe Haven Law, contact information for help, and links to more details online.
  • Directs schools to place these flyers inside bathroom stalls in school buildings.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Public middle and high schools with students from seventh grade through twelfth grade
  • Students in grades seven through twelve

Terms To Know

Safe Haven Law
A law that allows parents to safely surrender a newborn child without fear of legal consequences.
Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services
The state agency responsible for providing services related to the welfare of children and families in Louisiana.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if a school does not follow these requirements.
  • Allows exceptions for bathrooms used by younger students (sixth grade or below) where different methods can be used to inform older students about the law, but it does not provide details on how this should be done.

Amendments

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

Plain English: HFAHB476 3391 3101 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Dickerson to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • HFAHB476 3391 3101 FOR OFFICE USE ONLY HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Dickerson to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 476 by Representative Dickerson 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 20, after "that" and before "section." delete "goes to such" and insert "links 3 to that" Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

Plain English: HFLBHB476 2395 1678 HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Horton on behalf of the Legislative Bureau to Engrossed House Bill No.

  • HFLBHB476 2395 1678 HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by Representative Horton on behalf of the Legislative Bureau to Engrossed House Bill No.
  • 476 by Representative Dickerson 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 16, change "Save" to "Safe" Page 1 of 1 CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored are additions.

Plain English: HCAHB476 3391 2992 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Education to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB476 3391 2992 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Education to Original House Bill No.
  • 476 by Representative Dickerson 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 9, delete "six" and insert "seven" 3 4 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 5 On page 2, at the beginning of line 3, change "C." to "C.(1)" 6 AMENDMENT NO.

Plain English: HCAHB476 3391 2349 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Education to Original House Bill No.

  • HCAHB476 3391 2349 HOUSE COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS 2026 Regular Session Amendments proposed by House Committee on Education to Original House Bill No.
  • 476 by Representative Dickerson 1 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 1 2 On page 1, line 9, delete "six" and insert "seven" 3 4 AMENDMENT NO.
  • 2 5 6 On page 2, at the beginning of line 3, change "C." to "C.(1)" 7 AMENDMENT NO.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-28 H

    Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

  2. 2026-05-27 H

    Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

  3. 2026-05-27 S

    Signed by the President of the Senate.

  4. 2026-05-26 H

    Received from the Senate without amendments.

  5. 2026-05-26 S

    Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  6. 2026-05-20 S

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

  7. 2026-05-19 S

    Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  8. 2026-05-18 S

    Reported favorably.

  9. 2026-04-20 S

    Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.

  10. 2026-04-15 S

    Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

  11. 2026-04-14 H

    Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 94, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

  12. 2026-04-14 H

    Called from the calendar.

  13. 2026-04-13 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/14/2026.

  14. 2026-04-13 H

    Notice given.

  15. 2026-04-09 H

    Read by title, returned to the calendar.

  16. 2026-04-08 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 04/09/2026.

  17. 2026-04-07 H

    Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

  18. 2026-04-01 H

    Reported with amendments (12-0).

  19. 2026-03-09 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.

  20. 2026-02-27 H

    First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.

  21. 2026-02-26 H

    Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.

  22. 2026-02-26 H

    Prefiled.

Official Summary Text

SCHOOLS: Requires each public secondary school to display flyers about the Safe Haven Law in restrooms (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF EX)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 476
BY REPRESENTATIVES DICKERSON, ADAMS, BILLINGS, BOYD, BRASS,
BRYANT, CHENEVERT, CREWS, EGAN, FIRMENT, FISHER, GREEN,
HORTON, LAFLEUR, LYONS, MELERINE, MOORE, NEWELL, OWEN,
SAWYER, SCHAMERHORN, SPELL, TAYLOR, AND WILDER AND
SENATORS EDMONDS, HODGES, JACKSON-ANDREWS, AND MIGUEZ
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 17:17.9 and 3996(B)(92), relative to public health information; to provide
3 relative to information posted in public middle and high schools; to provide for
4 requirements of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services and the
5 state Department of Education; and to provide for related matters.
6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
7 Section 1. R.S. 17:17.9 and 3996(B)(92) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
8 §17.9. Safe Haven Law information; posting in schools
9 A. Each public school with students in any grade seven through twelve shall
10 display flyers designed by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family
11 Services, hereafter referred to as the "department", in the prescribed locations and
12 in the manner provided for in this Section.
13 B. The content of each flyer, at a minimum, shall be as follows:
14 (1) A brief, age-appropriate heading that quickly communicates the nature
15 of the flyer.
16 (2) A summary of the Safe Haven Law (Children's Code Article 1149 et
17 seq.), including but not limited to a summary of the ways a child can be legally
18 surrendered.
19 (3) The URL to the section on the department's website about the Safe Haven
20 Law and a QR code that links to that section.
21 (4) Contact information to receive assistance relative to the Safe Haven Law.
22 (5) The Safe Haven Law logo.
23 C.(1) School employees shall display the flyer on the inside of the door to
24 each bathroom stall in each bathroom in the school building.
Page 1 of 2
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 476 ENROLLED
1 (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, if a
2 bathroom is used in the normal course of a school day by students in sixth grade or
3 below, the school shall not be required to display the flyer in the bathroom but may
4 determine other approaches to inform students in grades seventh grade and above of
5 the content provided for in Subsection B of this Section.
6 D. The department shall make the flyer available for download on its
7 website.
8 E. The state Department of Education shall inform public school governing
9 authorities of how to obtain the flyer.
10 * * *
11 §3996. Charter schools; exemptions; requirements
12 * * *
13 B. Notwithstanding any state law, rule, or regulation to the contrary and
14 except as may be otherwise specifically provided for in an approved charter, a
15 charter school established and operated in accordance with the provisions of this
16 Chapter and its approved charter and the school's officers and employees shall be
17 exempt from all statutory mandates or other statutory requirements that are
18 applicable to public schools and to public school officers and employees except for
19 the following laws otherwise applicable to public schools with the same grades:
20 * * *
21 (92) Safe Haven Law flyers, R.S. 17:17.9.
22 * * *
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.