HB975 • 2026

SUNSET LAW: Re-creates the Department of Public Service

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Vincent J. St. Blanc , III
Last action: 2026-05-28
Official status: Sent to Governor
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on what will happen if the Department is re-created before July 1, 2031.

Re-creating the Department of Public Service

This bill re-establishes and sets a future termination date for the Louisiana Department of Public Service.

What This Bill Does

Creates the Department of Public Service again as of June 30, 2026.
Sets July 1, 2031, as the end date when the department will no longer exist unless re-created earlier.

Who It Names or Affects

The Department of Public Service in Louisiana
Statutory entities within the Department of Public Service

Terms To Know

Department of Public Service: A government agency responsible for certain public services.
Termination date: The specific day when something officially ends or stops existing.

Limits and Unknowns

It is not clear what will happen if the Department of Public Service is re-created before July 1, 2031.
The bill does not specify exactly which public services are provided by the Department of Public Service.

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
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-26 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-25 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-21 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-20 S
Reported favorably.
2026-05-12 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and International Affairs.
2026-05-11 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-05-07 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-05-06 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 05/07/2026.
2026-05-06 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-05-05 H
Reported favorably (13-0).
2026-03-17 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Commerce.
2026-03-16 H
Read by title. Lies over under the rules.

Official Summary Text

SUNSET LAW: Re-creates the Department of Public Service

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 975
BY REPRESENTATIVE ST. BLANC
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 49:191(3)(b) and to repeal R.S. 49:191(1)(b), relative to the Department of
3 Public Service, including provisions to provide for the re-creation of the Department
4 of Public Service and the statutory entities made a part of the department by law; to
5 provide for the effective termination date for all statutory authority for the existence
6 of such statutory entities; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for related
7 matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. Pursuant to R.S. 49:193, the Department of Public Service and the
10 statutory entities made a part of the department by law shall be re-created effective June 30,
11 2026, and all statutory authority therefor is continued in accordance with the provisions of
12 Part XII of Chapter 1 of Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
13 Section 2. All statutory authority for the existence of the Department of Public
14 Service and the statutory entities made a part of the department as re-created by Section 1
15 of this Act shall cease as of July 1, 2031, pursuant to R.S. 49:191. However, the Department
16 of Public Service may be re-created prior to such date in accordance with the provisions of
17 Part XII of Chapter 1 of Title 49 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
18 Section 3. The provisions of R.S. 49:193 are hereby superseded to the extent that
19 those provisions are in conflict with the provisions of this Act.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 975 ENROLLED
1 Section 4. R.S. 49:191(3)(b) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
2 §191. Termination of legislative authority for existence of statutory entities; phase-
3 out period for statutory entities; table of dates
4 Notwithstanding any termination dates set by any previous Act of the
5 legislature, the statutory entities set forth in this Section shall begin to terminate their
6 operations on July first of each of the following years, and all legislative authority
7 for the existence of any statutory entity, as defined in R.S. 49:190, shall cease as of
8 July first of the following year, which shall be the termination date:
9 * * *
10 (3) July 1, 2030:
11 * * *
12 (b) The Department of Public Service and all statutory entities made a part
13 of the department by law.
14 * * *
15 Section 5. R.S. 49:191(1)(b) is hereby repealed in its entirety.
16 Section 6. This Act shall become effective on June 30, 2026; if vetoed by the
17 governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become effective on
18 June 30, 2026, or on the day following such approval by the legislature, whichever is later.
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.