HB990 • 2026

LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Provides for a privilege in favor of parishes, sewerage districts, and waterworks districts for certain unpaid service charges or user fees

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Rodney Lyons
Last action: 2026-05-29
Official status: Signed by the Governor - Act 575
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill text does not provide specific details on what happens if an owner pays after thirty days but before a sworn statement is filed.

Local Government Privilege for Unpaid Service Charges

This act allows parishes, sewerage districts, and waterworks districts to have a privilege against multifamily residential properties with master meter agreements for unpaid service charges or user fees related to sewage disposal or water system services.

What This Bill Does

Gives parishes, sewerage districts, and waterworks districts the right to demand payment from owners of multifamily residential properties with master meter agreements who owe money for sewage or water services.
Requires these entities to send a written notice demanding payment within thirty days after sending the notice.
Allows these entities to file a sworn statement in court if the owner does not pay within thirty days, securing unpaid charges and interest on those charges.

Who It Names or Affects

Owners of multifamily residential properties who have master meter service agreements for sewage or water services.
Parishes, sewerage districts, and waterworks districts seeking to collect unpaid service charges or user fees from these property owners.

Terms To Know

Master Meter Service Agreement: An agreement where a single meter measures the total usage of water or sewage services for an entire multifamily residential property.
Privilege: A legal right that allows certain entities to demand payment from property owners and secure unpaid charges through court actions.

Limits and Unknowns

The act only applies to multifamily residential properties with master meter service agreements.
It does not specify what happens if the owner pays after thirty days but before a sworn statement is filed.
The exact procedures for filing and enforcing the privilege are not detailed in this summary.

Bill History

2026-05-29 H
Effective date: 08/01/2026.
2026-05-29 H
Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 575.
2026-05-26 H
Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
2026-05-25 S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
2026-05-25 H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
2026-05-25 H
Received from the Senate without amendments.
2026-05-21 S
Rules suspended. Read by title, passed by a vote of 35 yeas and 1 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
2026-05-13 S
Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
2026-05-12 S
Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
2026-05-11 S
Reported favorably.
2026-04-28 S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs.
2026-04-27 S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
2026-04-23 H
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 97, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
2026-04-22 H
Scheduled for floor debate on 04/23/2026.
2026-04-21 H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
2026-04-20 H
Reported favorably (12-0).
2026-03-24 H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs.
2026-03-23 H
Read by title. Lies over under the rules.

Official Summary Text

LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Provides for a privilege in favor of parishes, sewerage districts, and waterworks districts for certain unpaid service charges or user fees

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

ENROLLED
ACT No. 5752026 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 990
BY REPRESENTATIVE LYONS
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 33:4887(A), (B)(introductory paragraph), (C), (D), and
3 (E)(1)(introductory paragraph), relative to privileges against multifamily residential
4 properties; to grant parishes, sewerage districts, and waterworks districts a privilege
5 against such properties for certain unpaid service charges or user fees; to provide a
6 time period for a written demand for the payment of such service charges or user
7 fees; to provide relative to procedures for securing a privilege; and to provide for
8 related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. R.S. 33:4887(A), (B)(introductory paragraph), (C), (D), and
11 (E)(1)(introductory paragraph) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
12 §4887. Municipal powers; demand; sworn detailed statement Parishes,
13 municipalities, sewerage districts, and waterworks districts; privileges; sewer
14 and water service charges or user fees
15 A. The governing authority of a municipality Parishes, municipalities,
16 sewerage districts, and waterworks districts shall have a privilege against a
17 multifamily residential property for the amount of any unpaid service charge or user
Page 1 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 990 ENROLLED
1 fee for sewage disposal or water system services the municipality provides that they
2 provide. The privilege shall apply only to multifamily residential property that uses
3 a master meter service agreement in which a single water meter or collection of
4 meters measures the total water or sewage services usage for the entire property or
5 multiple units within a development. For purposes of this Section, multifamily
6 residential property shall mean immovable property consisting of more than four
7 dwelling units occupied by persons other than the owner of the immovable property.
8 B. When an owner of a multifamily residential property with a master meter
9 service agreement fails to pay the service charge or user fee for the sewage disposal
10 or water system services, a municipal governing authority parish, municipality,
11 sewerage district, or waterworks district seeking to collect the past due amounts
12 owed shall make written demand by any of the following:
13 * * *
14 C.(1) The owner shall have thirty days after the written demand to deliver
15 payment for the amount owed to the municipal governing authority parish,
16 municipality, sewerage district, or waterworks district.
17 (2) The municipal governing authority parish, municipality, sewerage
18 district, or waterworks district shall apply any sums paid by the owner following
19 delivery of the written demand to the balance owed.
20 (3) After expiration of the thirty-day period, the municipal governing
21 authority parish, municipality, sewerage district, or waterworks district may file a
22 sworn detailed statement of privilege in accordance with this Section.
23 D. Upon the filing of a sworn detailed statement of privilege, the municipal
24 governing authority parish, municipality, sewerage district, or waterworks district
25 shall have a privilege upon the multifamily residential property. The privilege shall
26 secure unpaid service charges, user fees, together with interest thereon at the legal
27 interest rate from the date due.
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CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.
HB NO. 990 ENROLLED
1 E.(1) The sworn detailed statement of privilege shall be signed and verified
2 by a municipal official an official of the parish, municipality, sewerage district, or
3 waterworks district with knowledge of the unpaid service charges or user fees for
4 sewage disposal or water system services and filed for registry in the mortgage
5 records of the parish where the multifamily residential property is located. The
6 statement of privilege shall include all of the following:
7 * * *
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 3 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.