Read the full stored bill text
HLS 26RS-1303 ORIGINAL
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 943
BY REPRESENTATIVE FIRMENT
CHILDREN/SUPPORT: Directs insurers to conduct data matches and withhold certain
insurance and settlement payments to satisfy child support obligations
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 46:236.1.13 and R.S. 22:2472, relative to child support enforcement and
3 insurer compliance; to require insurers to conduct data matches prior to issuing
4 qualifying payments; to provide for withholding and remittance of certain payments;
5 to provide for enforcement by the commissioner of insurance; to provide for
6 rulemaking; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S.22:2472 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 §2472. Child support insurance intercept; insurer compliance; enforcement
10 A. Every insurer doing business in this state shall comply with the
11 requirements of R.S. 46:236.1.13, including the obligation to conduct data matches
12 and to withhold and remit qualifying payments when notified by the Department of
13 Children and Family Services.
14 B. The commissioner of insurance shall have full enforcement authority over
15 insurer compliance with R.S. 46:236.1.13, including the authority to:
16 (1) Issue cease and desist orders.
17 (2) Impose administrative fines pursuant to R.S. 22:2.
18 (3) Conduct examinations and investigations.
19 (4) Adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement this Section.
Page 1 of 6
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1303 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 943
1 C. Failure to comply with R.S. 46:236.1.13 shall constitute an unfair or
2 deceptive act or practice under R.S. 22:1964.
3 Section 2. R.S. 46:236.1.13 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
4 §236.1.13. Family and child support programs; insurance data matching and
5 cooperation; responsibilities
6 A.(1) Each insurer shall, no later than five days prior to issuing a qualifying
7 payment, exchange information with the office of child support in the manner
8 prescribed by the department to verify whether a recipient owes debt for the support
9 of one or more children to the department or to a person receiving services from the
10 office of child support.
11 (2) To the extent feasible, the office of child support shall facilitate a secure
12 electronic process to exchange information with insurers pursuant to this Section.
13 The obligation of an insurer to exchange information with the office of child support
14 is discharged upon complying with the requirements of this Section.
15 (3) The exchange of information shall comply with privacy protections under
16 applicable state and federal laws and regulations, including the federal Health
17 Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
18 B. In order to determine whether a recipient of funds owes a debt being
19 enforced by the office of child support, all insurers doing business in the state that
20 issue qualifying payments to a recipient shall provide minimum identifying
21 information about the recipient to:
22 (1) An insurance claim data collection organization;
23 (2) The federal office of child support enforcement or the child support lien
24 network; or
25 (3) The office of child support enforcement directly in a manner satisfactory
26 to the department.
27 C. If an insurer is notified by the office of child support enforcement that a
28 recipient owes debt for the support of one or more children to the department or to
29 a person receiving services from the office of child support enforcement, the insurer
Page 2 of 6
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1303 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 943
1 shall, upon the receipt of a notice issued by the department identifying the amount
2 of debt owed:
3 (1) Withhold from payment to the recipient the amount specified in the
4 notice; and
5 (2) Remit the amount withheld from payment to the department within
6 twenty days.
7 D. The department shall give priority over any withholding of payment
8 pursuant to Subsection C of this Section to any lien, claim, or demand for reasonable
9 claim-related attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, any portion of a claim based on
10 damage or a loss of real or personal property, documented unpaid expenses incurred
11 for medical treatment causally related to the claim, and any money assigned or
12 designated as funeral or burial expenses.
13 E.(1) The department shall consider any information received from an
14 insurer as confidential. Such information shall be used or disclosed by the
15 department only for the purpose of collecting past-due child support or for the
16 purpose of carrying out the provisions of this Section.
17 (2) Information provided by the department may not be used by the insurer
18 or its agent for any purpose other than conducting the data match, and may not be
19 disclosed to any person except to the extent necessary to conduct the data match.
20 The insurer or its agent shall destroy or erase all information provided to the insurer
21 after completion of a data match. This Subsection does not apply to data contained
22 in a child support lien or other encumbering instrument received from the department
23 after the data match process.
24 (3) An insurer or other entity described in Subsection B of this Section may
25 not be held liable in any civil or criminal action for any act made in good faith
26 pursuant to this Section including, but not limited to:
27 (a) Any disclosure of information to the department or the division of child
28 support; or
Page 3 of 6
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1303 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 943
1 (b) The withholding of any money from payment to a recipient or the
2 remittance of such money to the department.
3 F. An insurer shall not delay the disbursement of a payment to a recipient to
4 comply with this Section. An insurer is not required to comply with Subsection C
5 of this Section if the notice issued by the department is received by the insurer after
6 the payment has disbursed. In the case of periodic payments, an insurer is not
7 required to comply with Subsection C of this Section with regard to any payments
8 disbursed before receipt of the notice, but shall comply with Subsection C of this
9 Section with regard to any payments scheduled after receipt of the notice.
10 G. If periodic payments will be made to a recipient, the insurer shall conduct
11 the exchange of information pursuant to Subsection A of this Section no later than
12 five days prior to each qualifying payment.
13 H. For the purposes of this Section, the following definitions apply:
14 (1) "Recipient" means any person who:
15 (a) Brings a tort liability claim for bodily injury or wrongful death;
16 (b) Is receiving an annuity;
17 (c) Is receiving disability insurance benefits;
18 (d) Is receiving workers' compensation benefits; or
19 (e) Is a beneficiary under a life insurance policy.
20 (2) "Claim for bodily injury" does not include a claim for uninsured or
21 underinsured vehicle coverage or medical payments coverage under a motor vehicle
22 liability policy.
23 (3) "Insurance claim data collection organization" means an organization that
24 maintains a centralized database of information concerning insurance claims to assist
25 insurers that subscribe to the database in processing claims and detecting and
26 preventing fraud, and also cooperates and coordinates with the federal or state child
27 support entities to share relevant information for insurance intercept purposes.
28 (4) "Insurer" means:
Page 4 of 6
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1303 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 943
1 (a) A domestic, foreign, or alien insurance company which provides
2 insurance of any kind, including but not limited to:
3 (i) life insurance.
4 (ii) health insurance.
5 (iii) liability insurance for an occurrence.
6 (iv) an annuity.
7 (v) Any combination of subparagraphs (i)-(iv) of this Paragraph.
8 (b) A Lloyd's plan.
9 (c) A reciprocal or interinsurance exchange.
10 (d) A fraternal benefit society.
11 (e) A mutual aid association, including a mutual insurance company.
12 (f) A surplus lines insurer.
13 (g) A certified self-insurer granted a certificate of authority as authorized by
14 R.S. 23:1195 et seq.
15 (h) A governmental entity that self-insures, either individually or collectively
16 under an interlocal cooperation contract as authorized by R.S. 33:3061 et seq.
17 (5) "Qualifying payment" means a payment that is either a one-time lump
18 sum or an installment payment issued by an insurer doing business in the state,
19 which is made for the purpose of satisfying, compromising, or settling a tort or
20 insurance claim where the payment is in excess of $500 and is intended to go directly
21 to the recipient and not to a third party, such as a health care provider. It includes
22 any payment scheduled to be issued within five days of the data match required by
23 Subsection A.
24 (6) "Tort or insurance claim" means: (a) A claim for general damages, which
25 are also called noneconomic damages; or (b) a claim for lost wages. "Tort or
26 insurance claim" does not include claims for property damage under either liability
27 insurance or uninsured motorist insurance.
Page 5 of 6
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HLS 26RS-1303 ORIGINAL
HB NO. 943
1 Section 3. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the Child Support Insurance
2 Intercept Act.
3 Section 4. This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2027.
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 943 Original 2026 Regular Session Firment
Abstract: Requires insurers to conduct data matches with the Dept. of Children and Family
Services (DCFS) before issuing qualifying payments and to withhold and remit any
amounts owed for child support obligations. Provides for the confidentiality of data.
Establishes the priority of certain liens and expenses. Sets rules regarding periodic
payments. Establishes the authority for insurer compliance and enforcement within
the Department of Insurance (LDI).
Proposed law requires an insurer, no later than five days prior to issuing a qualifying
payment, to exchange information with the office of child support enforcement within the
DCFS to determine whether the recipient owes child support debt. Requires the exchange
of information to comply with applicable state and federal privacy laws.
Proposed law requires insurers issuing qualifying payments to provide minimum identifying
information to an insurance claim data collection organization, the federal office of child
support enforcement, child support lien network, or directly to DCFS.
Proposed law requires an insurer, upon receipt of notice from DCFS identifying the amount
of child support debt owed, to withhold that amount from payment to the recipient and remit
the withheld amount to DCFS within twenty days. Requires DCFS to give priority to certain
liens, claims, and documented expenses before any withholding for child support.
Proposed law establishes confidentiality requirements for information exchanged between
insurers and DCFS and prohibits use or disclosure of such information except as necessary
to conduct the data match. Provides immunity from civil and criminal liability for insurers
acting in good faith under the Section.
Proposed law prohibits insurers from delaying disbursement of payments to comply with the
Section and provides that insurers are not required to withhold payments already disbursed
before receipt of notice. Provides rules for periodic payments, including that insurers must
conduct the required data match no later than five days prior to each qualifying payment.
Proposed law defines "recipient," "insurance claim data collection organization," "insurer,"
"qualifying payment," and "tort or insurance claim".
Proposed law enacts R.S. 22:2472 to require insurer compliance with R.S. 46:236.1.13 and
grants LDI enforcement authority, including the ability to issue cease and desist orders,
impose administrative fines, conduct examinations and investigations, and adopt rules.
Provides that failure to comply constitutes an unfair or deceptive act or practice.
Effective January 1, 2027.
(Adds R.S. 46:236.1.13 and R.S. 22:2472)
Page 6 of 6
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.