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SB52 • 2026

CHILDREN/FAMILY SERVICES DEPT: Provides relative to public assistance benefits for children. (8/1/26) (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

CHILDREN/FAMILY SERVICES DEPT: Provides relative to public assistance benefits for children. (8/1/26) (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

Children
Enacted

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

Sponsor
Stewart Cathey , Jr.
Last action
2026-06-01
Official status
Signed by the Governor - Act 733
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on how the state child ombudsman can request access to specific records, only that they must review reporting rules and procedures annually.

Public Assistance Benefits for Children

This act requires the Department of Children and Family Services to report changes in household circumstances to the Louisiana Department of Health, which must then adjust public assistance benefits accordingly.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates a new section (C)(14) that requires the state child ombudsman to review how the Department of Children and Family Services and the Louisiana Department of Health follow reporting rules and procedures.
  • Adds a new law stating that when there is a change in household circumstances, the Department of Children and Family Services must report this information to the Louisiana Department of Health within three business days.
  • Requires the Louisiana Department of Health to review public assistance benefits for parents if their child's household changes and adjust these benefits as needed.
  • Specifies that if a child returns to their parent’s custody before turning 18, the Department of Children and Family Services must inform the Louisiana Department of Health.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Children who are part of households receiving public assistance benefits
  • Parents whose children receive public assistance benefits
  • The Department of Children and Family Services
  • The Louisiana Department of Health

Terms To Know

Public Assistance Benefits
Financial help given by the government to people who need it, such as food stamps or Medicaid.
Household Circumstances
The situation of a family living together, including changes like moving or adding new members.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if the required reports are not made on time.
  • Does not explain how to handle situations where there is disagreement about a child's residence.
  • The effectiveness of these measures in reducing fraud and ensuring accurate benefits distribution remains uncertain.

Amendments

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

Filed

Plain English: The amendment changes the time DCFS has to report a change in household circumstances from 72 hours to three business days, requires written requests for information by the state ombudsman, and makes technical corrections.

  • Changes the reporting period for DCFS to notify LDH about changes in household circumstances from 72 hours to three business days.
  • Requires that any request for information by the state child ombudsman be made in writing.
  • Makes unspecified technical corrections.
  • The exact nature of the 'technical corrections' is not specified and cannot be detailed here.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the time frame for certain actions related to public assistance benefits and clarifies who is responsible for completing tasks.

  • Changes 'seventy-two hours' to 'three business days'.
  • Adds requirements that must be completed immediately after a specific action.
  • Inserts 'required' before 'change' on page 3, line 4.
  • Replaces all instances of 'department' with 'Louisiana Department of Health'
  • The amendment text does not provide details about what exactly needs to be completed immediately or the nature of the changes required.
Draft

Plain English: The amendment changes the time limit for certain actions related to public assistance benefits for children and adds requirements for changing these benefits.

  • Changes 'seventy-two hours' to 'three business days' for a specific action in the bill.
  • Adds the word 'required' before 'a change' on page 3, line 4.
  • Inserts 'written' before 'Upon request' on page 3, line 8.
  • The exact impact of these changes is not fully explained in the provided amendment text.
Draft

Plain English: The amendment changes the wording related to public assistance benefits for children by specifying additional requirements and updating department names.

  • Adds new language requiring completion of certain actions immediately before a colon on page 2, line 13.
  • Changes 'department' to 'Louisiana Department of Health' at two places: once on page 3, line 6, and again on page 3, line 7.
  • The exact nature of the actions that need to be completed immediately is not specified in the amendment text.
  • It's unclear what specific changes or additions are meant by 'complete all of the following' without further context.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment adds a new duty for the state child ombudsman to review how the Department of Children and Family Services and the Louisiana Department of Health implement certain laws related to public assistance benefits.

  • Adds a new section (R.S. 24:525(C)(14)) that requires the state child ombudsman to conduct an annual review of how R.S. 46:109 is implemented by relevant departments, focusing on compliance with reporting requirements and reviewing department procedures.
  • Inserts a new clause (F) in Section 1 of the bill, allowing the state child ombudsman to request access to records from the Department of Children and Family Services and the Louisiana Department of Health regarding changes in household circumstances or adjustments to public assistance benefits.
  • The exact details of R.S. 46:109 are not provided, so it's unclear what specific laws or regulations will be reviewed.
  • It is not specified how the state child ombudsman will use the information obtained from record access.
Adopted

Plain English: The amendment changes the language in a bill about public assistance benefits for children by adding and removing specific words.

  • Adds the phrase 'following a hearing held pursuant to Children's Code Article 624' at line 13 on page 1 of the bill.
  • Removes the word 'Services' from line 14 on page 1 of the bill.
  • The exact impact and context of these changes are not fully explained in the provided amendment text, making it hard to understand their full implications without additional information.
Draft

Plain English: The amendment changes the language in a bill about public assistance benefits for children by adding details on how hearings are conducted and removing references to 'Services'.

  • Adds that a hearing must be held according to Children's Code Article 624 before making certain decisions.
  • Removes the word 'Services' from the text.
  • The amendment does not provide details on what specific public assistance benefits are affected or how the removal of 'Services' impacts the overall meaning.

Bill History

  1. 2026-06-01 S

    Effective date 8/1/2026.

  2. 2026-06-01 S

    Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 733.

  3. 2026-05-29 S

    Sent to the Governor by the Secretary of the Senate.

  4. 2026-05-29 H

    Signed by the Speaker of the House.

  5. 2026-05-28 S

    Enrolled. Signed by the President of the Senate.

  6. 2026-05-27 S

    Amendments proposed by the House read and concurred in by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays.

  7. 2026-05-26 S

    Received from the House with amendments.

  8. 2026-05-26 H

    Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 84, nays 7. Finally passed, ordered to the Senate.

  9. 2026-05-25 H

    Scheduled for floor debate on 05/26/2026.

  10. 2026-05-25 H

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

  11. 2026-05-20 H

    Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments.

  12. 2026-05-19 H

    Reported with amendments (13-0). Referred to the Legislative Bureau.

  13. 2026-04-21 H

    Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

  14. 2026-04-20 H

    Received in the House from the Senate, read by title, lies over under the rules.

  15. 2026-04-15 S

    Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title and passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays; ordered re-reengrossed and sent to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

  16. 2026-04-14 S

    Read by title; Committee amendments read and adopted. Ordered reengrossed and passed to third reading and final passage.

  17. 2026-04-13 S

    Reported with amendments.

  18. 2026-03-30 S

    Read by title. Ordered engrossed and recommitted to the Committee on Finance.

  19. 2026-03-25 S

    Reported favorably.

  20. 2026-03-09 S

    Introduced in the Senate; read by title. Rules suspended. Read second time and referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

  21. 2026-02-18 S

    Prefiled and under the rules provisionally referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

Official Summary Text

CHILDREN/FAMILY SERVICES DEPT: Provides relative to public assistance benefits for children. (8/1/26) (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
2026 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 52
BY SENATOR CATHEY AND REPRESENTATIVES AMEDEE, MIKE JOHNSON,
TAYLOR AND YOUNG
1 AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 24:525(C)(14) and R.S. 46:109, relative to public assistance benefits; to
3 provide for the duties of the Department of Children and Family Services and the
4 Louisiana Department of Health; to provide for reporting; to provide for the
5 adjustment of benefits under certain circumstances; to provide for the duties of the
6 state child ombudsman; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 24:525(C)(14) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9 §525. State child ombudsman; duties
10 * * *
11 C. The state child ombudsman shall have all of the following duties and
12 responsibilities:
13 * * *
14 (14) Conduct an annual review of the implementation of R.S. 46:109 by
15 the Department of Children and Family Services and the Louisiana Department
16 of Health, including the timely compliance with reporting requirements and a
17 review of department procedures.
18 * * *
19 Section 2. R.S. 46:109 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
20 §109. Public assistance benefits; change in household; reporting; fraud
21 A. For the purpose of assisting the Louisiana Department of Health in
22 identifying changes in household circumstances for benefit allotments, the
23 Department of Children and Family Services shall report identifying
24 information to the Louisiana Department of Health within three business days
25 following a hearing held pursuant to Children's Code Article 624. The
26 Louisiana Department of Health shall determine the required information
ACT No. 733
Page 1 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
SB NO. 52 ENROLLED
1 necessary to identify the child and the child's household.
2 B. Upon receipt of a report from the Department of Children and Family
3 Services pursuant to this Section, the Louisiana Department of Health shall
4 immediately complete all of the following:
5 (1) Review whether either of the child's parents is receiving any public
6 assistance benefits as a result of the child being included in the parent's
7 household.
8 (2) Adjust any Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Special
9 Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or Family
10 Independence Temporary Assistance Program benefits for the parent's
11 household to reflect the change in circumstance.
12 (3) If the child is enrolled in Medicaid, issue a new Medicaid managed
13 care insurance card for the child at the child's new residence.
14 C. If the child has not reached the age of eighteen at the time the child
15 is returned to the custody of the child's parent, the Department of Children and
16 Family Services shall report to the Louisiana Department of Health when the
17 child is returned to the custody of the child's parent.
18 D. If the Louisiana Department of Health receives an application for a
19 public assistance benefit for a child that is included in another household that
20 receives benefits, the department shall conduct an assessment to determine
21 where the child is currently residing and adjust the benefit allotment
22 accordingly.
23 E. If the Louisiana Department of Health determines that an individual
24 failed to report a required change in household circumstances and is receiving
25 public assistance benefits for a child that is no longer living in the household,
26 the Louisiana Department of Health shall report the individual to the fraud
27 detection unit of the Louisiana Department of Health for investigation and
28 recovery of ineligible benefits.
29 F. Upon written request of the state child ombudsman, the Department
30 of Children and Family Services and the Louisiana Department of Health shall
Page 2 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
SB NO. 52 ENROLLED
1 provide access to any records identifying changes in household circumstances
2 or related to the adjustment of public assistance benefits as required by this
3 Section.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 3 of 3
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.