HB 431

ENROLLED
 2026 Regular Session
  ACT No. 946
 HOUSE BILL NO. 431
 BY REPRESENTATIVES CARLSON, BILLINGS, CARVER, COX, DOMANGUE,
  FARNUM, FREIBERG, GADBERRY, JACKSON, LYONS, MARCELLE,
  MURRAY, SAWYER, AND STAGNI AND SENATOR LUNEAU
1AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 33:1420.31, relative to local government officials; to provide
3relative to training requirements for certain local government officials; to provide
4relative to resources and training offered by state agencies, associations, or groups
5that provide municipal governance training; to provide relative to subject matter
6requirements for such resources and training; to provide for reporting of certain
7information; to provide exceptions; to provide for effectiveness; and to provide for
8related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10Section 1. R.S. 33:1420.31 is hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
11§1420.31. Local government officials; training; certain municipalities
12A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, all mayors
13shall, and members of the governing authorities of municipalities with a population
14of fifteen thousand persons or less according the latest federal decennial census may,
15participate in workshops and other training courses offered by state agencies,
16associations, or groups that provide training to local government officials, which are
17intended to assist such officials in carrying out their duties by enhancing their
18knowledge of laws regulating their respective municipalities. Any such elected
19official may use any local government resource provided by such agencies,
20associations, or groups to the officials and their respective municipalities and make
21such resources available to administrative staff members.
22B. Any state agency, association, or group provided for in Subsection A of
23this Section may shall work jointly with the Louisiana Municipal Association to
24provide workshops, training courses, and other resources to the elected officials and
25may offer incentives to the officials, such as continuing education credits or
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 HB NO. 431  ENROLLED
1certificates for specialization in certain subject matters, to encourage their use of
2resources and attendance at workshops and training courses.
3C. All mayors shall earn not less than sixteen hours of credit annually
4through the attendance at workshops, national conferences, and other training
5courses, including continuing legal education, that are offered by state agencies,
6associations, or groups and that are approved by the Louisiana Municipal
7Association as provided in this Section.
8D. The training requirement provided for in Subsection C of this Section
9shall include any training that is required by state law, including the following:
10(1) Ethics training pursuant to R.S. 42:1170.
11(2) Sexual harassment prevention training pursuant to R.S. 42:343.
12(3) Cybersecurity training pursuant to R.S. 42:1267.
13(4) Campaign finance training pursuant to R.S. 42:1170.
14(5) Training on procurement and letting of public contracts pursuant to R.S.
1533:1420.32.
16(6) Emergency preparedness training pursuant to R.S. 29:726(F)(2).
17E. The Louisiana Municipal Association shall establish the training courses
18offered to elected officials pursuant to Subsection C of this Section within, at a
19minimum, the following categories of municipal governance:
20(1) The Lawrason Act and municipal authority.
21(2) The roles and responsibilities of mayors and municipal councils.
22(3) Public budgeting, finance, audits, and procurement laws.
23(4) Ethics and conflicts of interest.
24(5) Human resources, personnel management, and civil service.
25(6) Open Meetings Law and Public Records Law.
26(7) Public safety, emergency preparedness, and police and fire operations.
27(8) Utility operations and infrastructure management.
28(9) Planning, zoning, annexation, and land use.
29(10) Economic development and community engagement.
30(11) Robert's Rules of Order and parliamentary procedure.
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1(12) Municipal best practices and compliance.
2(13) Tax codes, revenue authority, and financial administration.
3(14) Municipal retirement systems.
4F.(1) Each mayor shall attest to his compliance with the training and
5continuing education requirements of this Section using a form provided by the
6legislative auditor. The attestation of the mayor shall be included with and made part
7of the municipality's submission of its annual financial statements to the legislative
8auditor as required by R.S. 24:513.
9(2) The licensed certified public accountant engaged to perform the review
10or audit of the municipality shall include verification of the mayor's compliance with
11the training and continuing education requirements of this Section as part of the
12accountant's engaged work.
13(3) The legislative auditor shall maintain on his website a public list, by
14municipality, of mayors who are compliant and who are non-compliant with the
15training and continuing education requirements of this Section.
16C. G. The provisions of this Part are applicable to any person who is
17appointed temporarily to fill a vacancy in an elective office of any municipality
18provided for in Subsection A of this Section The provisions of this Part shall not
19apply to any person who is appointed temporarily to fill a vacancy in the office of
20mayor if the duration of such appointment is less than one year.
21Section 2. This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2027.
  SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
  GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
 APPROVED:
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