HB 1063

HLS 26RS-2283  ORIGINAL
 2026 Regular Session
 HOUSE BILL NO. 1063
 BY REPRESENTATIVE OWEN
 HIGHER EDUCATION: Provides requirements for public postsecondary education
  management boards relative to core curricula, hiring and employment, faculty
  deliberative bodies, and nonacademic disciplinary proceedings and prohibits
  institutions from expending certain funds under certain circumstances
1AN ACT
2 To enact Part XV of Chapter 26 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be
3comprised of R.S. 17:3399.51 through 3399.56, relative to postsecondary education;
4to require each public postsecondary education management board to review courses
5forming core curricula, determine if they meet certain criteria, and issue an annual
6report relative thereto; to require each public postsecondary education management
7board to take certain action with regard to hiring and employment practices for
8employees in certain positions; to provide requirements relative to faculty
9deliberative bodies; to provide requirements relative to nonacademic disciplinary
10proceedings for students; to prohibit a public postsecondary education institution
11from expending funds unless certain conditions are met; to provide for effectiveness;
12and to provide for related matters.
13 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
14Section 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "Higher Education
15 Accountability and Governance Act".
16Section 2.(A) The legislature finds that the state of Louisiana makes a substantial
17 investment in public postsecondary education and that with this ongoing public investment
18 comes a duty for public postsecondary education institutions to serve the interests of the
19 people of Louisiana.
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1(B) The legislature finds that the legislature has a critical interest in setting priorities
2 for public postsecondary education institutions, which are ultimately answerable to the
3 people of Louisiana and their duly elected representatives, in order to ensure the wise use
4 of the state's money.
5(C)    The legislature acknowledges the importance of academic freedom and
6 intellectual diversity as values that aid the pursuit of truth in postsecondary education.
7(D) This Act is enacted pursuant to the legislature's authority under the Preamble of
8 Article VIII of the Constitution of Louisiana and shall not be construed to infringe upon the
9 constitutional powers granted to the Board of Regents or the public postsecondary education
10 management boards.
11Section 3. Part XV of Chapter 26 of Title 17 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of
12 1950, comprised of R.S. 17:3399.51 through 3399.56, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
13 PART XV. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION: CORE CURRICULUM, HIRING AND
14    EMPLOYMENT, FACULTY DELIBERATIVE BODIES, AND NONACADEMIC
15DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS
16§3399.51. Definitions
17For the purposes of this Part:
18(1) "Core curriculum" means the collection of courses that students are
19required to complete for credit toward completion of a degree program.
20(2) "Degree program" means a program leading to a degree, certificate, or
21other credential.
22(3) "Faculty deliberative body" means any senate, committee, council, union,
23or other organization of the faculty recognized by an institution as having a formal
24role in the governance of the institution, with responsibilities extending beyond a
25single school or department.
26(4) "Public postsecondary education institution" or "institution" means an
27institution under the supervision and management of the Board of Supervisors of
28Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the Board of
29Supervisors of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the
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1Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System, or the Board of
2Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges.
3(5) "Public postsecondary education management board" means the Board
4of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical
5College, the Board of Supervisors of Southern University and Agricultural and
6Mechanical College, the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana
7System, and the Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges.
8§3399.52. Core curriculum
9A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, each management board, in
10consultation with the Board of Regents, shall annually review all courses forming the
11core curriculum for each degree program at each institution under its supervision and
12management and determine if each course meets the following criteria:
13(1) The course is foundational and fundamental to a sound postsecondary
14education.
15(2) The course is necessary to prepare for civic or professional life.
16(3) The course reflects core content and methodologies of historic liberal arts
17and preprofessional disciplines.
18B. Each management board shall make a report outlining the courses subject
19to review, course descriptions, the criteria for reviewing them, and the process for
20review available publicly online for at least thirty days prior to the meeting of the
21management board at which the review will be discussed.
22C. Each management board shall vote to certify that the courses offered by
23each institution under its supervision and management as part of the core curriculum
24for each degree program meet the criteria in Subsection A of this Section.
25D. Each year, each management board shall vote on whether to reauthorize
26or revise the core curriculum for each degree program at each institution under its
27supervision and management.
28E. Each management board shall comply with the provisions of this Section
29by the end of the 2027-2028 academic year. For subsequent academic years, the
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1annual review shall include a review of the previous year's approved courses and, for
2each course, its satisfaction of the criteria in Subsection A of this Section.
3§3399.53. Faculty and administrator hiring and employment
4A. Each management board shall approve or deny at a public meeting the
5proposed job posting for any position proposed to be filled by an individual who will
6be eligible for tenure and will teach at least one course in any field. Each proposed
7job posting shall be posted publicly online at least thirty days prior to the
8management board's meeting. The board may vote on multiple proposed postings
9in a single motion.
10B.(1) Each management board shall approve or deny at a public meeting the
11hiring, appointment, or promotion of any individual who will serve as a chancellor,
12vice chancellor, president, vice president, provost, associate provost, dean, or any
13other position of comparable authority at an institution under its supervision and
14management.
15(2) The curriculum vitae of any individual considered for such a position
16shall be posted publicly online at least thirty days prior to the management board's
17consideration of his hiring, appointment, or promotion.
18C. Any search committee tasked with identifying candidates for president or
19provost at an institution shall comply with the following requirements:
20(1)   At least sixty percent of its members shall be members of the
21management board, who shall be the only voting members of the committee.
22(2) Be composed of other members as approved by the management board.
23(3) If an external search firm is used to support the search committee, the
24firm shall be approved by the management board.
25D. No management board shall delegate the duties ascribed to it in this
26Section to any other individual, official, or entity.
27§3399.54. Faculty deliberative bodies
28A. The following provisions shall apply to each faculty deliberative body:
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1(1)    It shall perform a strictly advisory role, making nonbinding
2recommendations to administrative officers of the institution.
3(2) It shall not present itself as an authoritative or policymaking body.
4(3) The president of the institution shall appoint the head of the faculty
5deliberative body.
6(4) Membership on the faculty deliberative body is limited to full professors
7with tenure, and service is limited to one academic year. Upon completion of this
8term of service, the faculty member shall not be eligible to serve again for four
9academic years.
10(5)   No state or institution funds shall be used to pay for staff or
11administrative employees dedicated exclusively to the faculty deliberative body.
12(6) If a faculty deliberative body rejects a course or curriculum proposal in
13whole or in part, the president, provost, and relevant officers shall review and
14consider the entirety of the proposal.
15(7) The names of the members in attendance shall be recorded at any
16meeting in which the faculty deliberative body conducts business related to either of
17the following:
18(a) A vote of no confidence regarding an institution or system administrator.
19(b) Policies related to curriculum and academic standards.
20B. This Section shall not be construed to limit a faculty member's right to
21freedom of association as protected by the Constitution of the United States and the
22Constitution of Louisiana.
23C. The provisions of this Section shall supersede and control to the extent
24of any conflict with any other provision of law relative to the powers and duties of
25faculty deliberative bodies.
26§3399.55. Nonacademic disciplinary proceedings
27A. Following any major campus disruption arising from legal or policy
28violations by students, the chief executive officer of the institution shall submit
29anonymized, quarterly, incident-specific disciplinary reports for eighteen months to
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1the management board. Such reports shall include quantitative data on the sanctions
2imposed and the names of the admissions officers who reviewed the applications of
3sanctioned students.
4B. The chief executive officer may convene a special advisory committee to
5review the advisory determinations of subordinate administrators or subordinate
6bodies in nonacademic disciplinary cases and make recommendations to the chief
7executive officer or make the original determination for any nonacademic
8disciplinary case.
9§3399.56. Compliance
10Beginning with the 2027-2028 Fiscal Year, an institution shall not expend
11any funds appropriated to it for a given fiscal year until its management board
12submits to the legislature and the Board of Regents a report certifying the
13management board's compliance with the provisions of this Part during the preceding
14fiscal year.
15Section 4. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
16 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
17 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
18 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
19 effective on the day following such approval.
  DIGEST
 The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
 of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
 part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
 HB 1063 Original  2026 Regular Session  Owen
 Abstract: Requires the public postsecondary education management boards to take certain
  actions with respect to core curricula, hiring and employment, faculty deliberative
  bodies, and nonacademic disciplinary proceedings and prohibits institutions from
  expending appropriated funds under certain circumstances.
  Core curriculum
 Proposed law requires each public postsecondary education management board, in
 consultation with the Bd. of Regents, to annually review all courses forming the core
 curriculum for each degree program at each institution under its supervision and
 management and determine if each course meets the following criteria: it is foundational and
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fundamental to a sound postsecondary education, is necessary preparation for civic or
professional life, and reflects core content and methodologies of historic liberal arts and
preprofessional disciplines.
Proposed law further requires each management board to:
(1)    Make a report outlining the courses subject to review, course descriptions, the
   criteria for reviewing them, and the process for review available publicly online for
   at least 30 days prior to the meeting of the management board at which the review
   will be discussed.
(2)    Vote to certify that the courses offered by each institution under its supervision and
   management as part of the core curriculum for each degree program meet proposed
   law criteria.
(3)    Vote each year on whether to reauthorize or revise the core curriculum for each
   degree program at each institution under its supervision and management.
Proposed law provides that each management board shall comply with proposed law by the
end of the 2027-2028 academic year. Provides that for subsequent academic years, the
annual report shall include a review of the previous year's approved courses and, for each
course, its satisfaction of proposed law criteria.
  Hiring and employment
Proposed law requires each management board to approve or deny during a public meeting
the proposed job posting for any position that will be filled by an individual who will be
eligible for tenure and will teach one or more courses in any field. Requires each proposed
job posting to be posted publicly online at least 30 days prior to the management board's
meeting. Authorizes the board to vote on multiple proposed postings in a single motion.
Proposed law requires each management board to approve or deny during a public meeting
the hiring, appointment, or promotion of any individual who will serve as a chancellor, vice
chancellor, president, vice president, provost, associate provost, dean, or any other position
of comparable authority at an institution under its supervision and management. Requires
that the curriculum vitae of any individual considered for such a position be posted publicly
online at least 30 days prior to the management board's consideration.
Proposed law provides that any search committee tasked with identifying candidates for
president or provost at an institution shall consist of at least 60% of members of the
management board, who shall be the only voting members of the committee and be
composed of other members as approved by the management board. Provides that if an
external firm is used, it must be approved by the management board.
Proposed law prohibits a management board from delegating the duties ascribed to it in
proposed law to any other individual, official, or entity.
  Faculty deliberative bodies
Proposed law provides the following relative to each faculty deliberative body:
(1)    It shall perform a strictly advisory role, making nonbinding recommendations to
   administrative officers of the institution.
(2)    It shall not present itself as an authoritative or policymaking body.
(3)    The president of the institution shall appoint the head of the faculty deliberative
   body.
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(4)    Membership on the faculty deliberative body is limited to full professors with tenure,
   and service is limited to one academic year. Upon completion of this term of
   service, the faculty member is not eligible to serve again for four academic years.
(5)    No state or institution funds shall be used to pay for staff or administrative
   employees dedicated exclusively to the faculty deliberative body.
(6)    If a faculty deliberative body rejects a course or curriculum proposal in whole or in
   part, the president, provost, and relevant officers shall review and consider the
   entirety of the proposal.
(7)    The names of the members in attendance shall be recorded at any meeting in which
   the faculty deliberative body conducts business related to a vote of no confidence
   regarding an institution or system administrator or policies related to curriculum and
   academic standards.
Proposed law provides that proposed law shall not be construed to limit a faculty member's
right to freedom of association protected by the U.S. and La. constitutions and that proposed
law shall supersede and control to the extent of any conflict with present law relative to the
powers and duties of faculty deliberative bodies.
  Nonacademic disciplinary proceedings
Proposed law:
(1)    Provides that following any major campus disruption arising from legal or policy
   violations by students, the CEO of the institution shall submit anonymized, quarterly,
   incident-specific disciplinary reports for 18 months to the management board that
   include quantitative data on the sanctions imposed and the names of the admissions
   officers who reviewed the applications of sanctioned students.
(2)    Authorizes the CEO to convene a special advisory committee to review the advisory
   determinations of subordinate administrators or subordinate bodies in any
   nonacademic disciplinary cases and make recommendations to the CEO or serve the
   original determination for any nonacademic disciplinary case.
  Compliance
Proposed law, beginning with the 2027-2028 Fiscal Year, prohibits an institution from
expending funds appropriated to it for a given fiscal year until its management board submits
to the legislature and the Bd. of Regents a report certifying the management board's
compliance with proposed law during the preceding fiscal year.
Effective upon signature of governor or lapse of time for gubernatorial action.
(Adds R.S. 17:17:3399.51-3399.56)
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