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HCR49 • 2026
HIGHER EDUCATION: Memorializes congress to include physical therapy as a professional degree program for purposes of borrowing limits for students seeking federal aid for postsecondary education
HIGHER EDUCATION: Memorializes congress to include physical therapy as a professional degree program for purposes of borrowing limits for students seeking federal aid for postsecondary education
Education
Healthcare
Passed Legislature
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
- Sponsor
- Adrian Fisher
- Last action
- 2026-06-02
- Official status
- Sent to the Secretary of State
- Effective date
- Not listed
Plain English Breakdown
The official source does not provide specific details on the impact of the resolution or its potential benefits for rural healthcare providers and students.
Memorializing Congress for Physical Therapy Degree Borrowing Limits
This resolution asks the U.S. Congress to include physical therapy, physician assistant studies, and post-baccalaureate nursing degrees in professional programs that qualify for higher federal student loan limits.
What This Bill Does
- Asks Congress to make doctor of physical therapy degrees eligible for more federal student loans.
- Includes master of physician assistant studies and post-baccalaureate nursing degrees, including advanced practice registered nursing degree and doctoral nursing degree, in the same program.
Who It Names or Affects
- Students seeking federal aid for physical therapy, physician assistant studies, and nursing degrees.
Terms To Know
- Professional degree programs
- Programs that prepare students to work as professionals in specific fields like healthcare.
- Federal student loan access
- The ability of students to borrow money from the government for their education.
Limits and Unknowns
- This resolution is not a law and does not create new laws or regulations.
- It only asks Congress to take action, but it doesn't say what that action will be.
- The exact impact on student loan limits is unclear until Congress acts.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: The amendment asks Congress to include doctor of physical therapy and other health-related degrees in the list of professional programs that qualify for higher federal student loan limits.
- Adds Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree to the list of eligible professional degree programs for enhanced federal student aid borrowing limits.
- Includes Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) and post-baccalaureate nursing degrees, including advanced practice registered nursing (APRN) and doctoral nursing degrees, in the list of eligible professional degree programs.
- The exact impact on student borrowing limits is not specified in the amendment text.
Plain English: The amendment to HCR49 aims to include physical therapy as a professional degree program for federal student aid borrowing limits.
- Adds physical therapy programs to the list of eligible professional degrees for federal student loan borrowing limits.
- The official text does not provide specific details on how this change will be implemented or what the exact impact would be on current and future students.
Plain English: The amendment modifies a resolution to include additional healthcare degrees in federal student loan borrowing limits for higher education.
- Adds the master of physician assistant studies degree, post-baccalaureate nursing degree (including advanced practice registered nursing and doctoral nursing degrees) to the list of eligible professional degrees for federal aid purposes.
- Expands the term 'physical therapy workforce' to include physical therapists, physician assistants, and nurses.
- Clarifies that restrictions on student loan funding would disproportionately affect Louisiana residents in doctor of physical therapy, master of physician assistant studies, and post-baccalaureate nursing degree programs.
- The exact impact of these changes on federal aid borrowing limits is not detailed in the amendment text.
Bill History
-
2026-06-02
H
Taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Rules of the House.
-
2026-05-31
S
Signed by the President of the Senate.
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2026-05-29
H
Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
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2026-05-29
H
Read by title, roll called, yeas 97, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
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2026-05-27
H
Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.
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2026-05-26
H
Received from the Senate with amendments.
-
2026-05-26
S
Senate amendments read and adopted. Read by title and concurred in by a vote of 35 yeas and 0 nays. Ordered returned to the House.
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2026-05-26
S
Rules suspended. Called from the Calendar.
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2026-05-26
S
Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
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2026-05-26
S
Rules suspended.
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2026-05-21
S
Reported favorably.
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2026-05-12
S
Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Education.
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2026-05-11
S
Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.
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2026-05-11
H
Read by title, roll called on final consideration, yeas 91, nays 0. The resolution was adopted and ordered to the Senate.
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2026-05-07
H
Scheduled for floor debate on 05/11/2026.
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2026-04-29
H
Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
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2026-04-28
H
Reported favorably (10-0).
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2026-04-08
H
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.
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2026-04-07
H
Read by title. Lies over under the rules.
Official Summary Text
HIGHER EDUCATION: Memorializes congress to include physical therapy as a professional degree program for purposes of borrowing limits for students seeking federal aid for postsecondary education
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 49
BY REPRESENTATIVES FISHER AND CHASSION
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to include
the doctor of physical therapy degree, the master of physician assistant studies
degree, and post-baccalaureate nursing degree, including advanced practice
registered nursing degree and doctoral nursing degree within the definition of
professional degree programs eligible for enhanced federal student loan access.
WHEREAS, the legislature affirms that such designation is essential to enable
equitable access to advanced health professional education, particularly for students from
rural communities in Louisiana, to support the development and retention of a robust
workforce of physical therapists, physician assistants, and nurses necessary to address
statewide and rural healthcare needs, to mitigate escalating healthcare costs, and to
strengthen statewide public health infrastructure and long term workforce sustainability; and
WHEREAS, research shows that healthcare professionals educated locally are
significantly more likely to practice in the communities where they are trained; and
WHEREAS, restricting access to federal student loan funding for students enrolled
in doctor of physical therapy, master of physician assistant studies, and post-baccalaureate
nursing degree programs would disproportionately affect Louisiana residents and further
exacerbate rural healthcare shortages.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to include the
doctor of physical therapy degree, the master of physician assistant studies degree, and post-
baccalaureate nursing degree, including advanced practice registered nursing degree and
doctoral nursing degree within the definition of professional degree programs eligible for
enhanced federal student loan access.
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HCR NO. 49 ENROLLED
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress of the
United States of America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional delegation.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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