Louisiana legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Louisiana HB971: MEDICAID: Provides relative to Medicaid reimbursement for rural health clinics (EN +$2,655,159 GF EX See Note)
Status: Signed into law, June 8, 2026
What the bill says
An act To enact R.S. 40:2197.1, relative to rural health clinics; to provide for Medicaid reimbursement rates of rural health clinics; to provide for the promulgation and adoption of rules; to provide for a state plan amendment; to provide for an implementation date; and to provide for related matters.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT To enact R.S. 40:2197.1, relative to rural health clinics; to provide for Medicaid reimbursement rates of rural health clinics; to provide for the promulgation and adoption of rules; to provide for a state plan amendment; to provide for an implementation date; and to provide for related matters. Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana: Section 1. R.S. 40:2197.1 is hereby enacted to read as follows: §2197.1. Equality in Medicaid reimbursement rates for rural health clinics A. The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health shall take all necessary actions to equalize the Medicaid reimbursement rate between independent rural health clinics, also known as type one rural health clinics, and provider-based rural health clinics, also known as type two and three rural health clinics. The Louisiana Department of Health shall ensure that independent rural health clinics are reimbursed by Medicaid at the same rate as provider-based rural health clinics. B. The Louisiana Department of Health shall prepare a state plan amendment or promulgate and adopt rules, as necessary, to implement the provisions of this Section. Section 2. Not later than October 1, 2026, the Louisiana Department of Health shall take all necessary actions to implement the provisions of Section 1 of this Act. Page 1 of CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words …
Sponsors
- Joseph Stagni (R, 92) · primary sponsor
- Berault, Stephanie (R, 76)
- Chassion, Tehmi (D, 44)
Latest actions
- : Effective date: 06/08/2026.
- : Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 859.
- : Sent to the Governor for executive approval.
- : Signed by the President of the Senate.
- : Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- : Read by title, roll called, yeas 95, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
- : Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.
- : Received from the Senate with amendments.
- : Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
- : Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.
Votes
- House Vote on HB 971, CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENTS (#1702) (May 29, 2026): 95 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate Vote on HB 971, FINAL PASSAGE (#1331) (May 26, 2026): 37 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House Vote on HB 971, FINAL PASSAGE (#861) (May 5, 2026): 91 yea, 6 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is HB971?
- HB971 is a bill in the Louisiana Legislature (2026 Regular Session): MEDICAID: Provides relative to Medicaid reimbursement for rural health clinics (EN +$2,655,159 GF EX See Note).
- What does HB971 do?
- In its own words: An act To enact R.S. 40:2197.1, relative to rural health clinics; to provide for Medicaid reimbursement rates of rural health clinics; to provide for the promulgation and adoption of rules; to provide for a state plan amendment; to provide for an implementation date; and to provide for related matters.
- What is the status of HB971?
- Signed into law as of June 8, 2026. Latest action: Effective date: 06/08/2026. (June 8, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB971?
- Joseph Stagni (R, 92), with 2 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB971?
- On the Louisiana Legislature website: https://legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?s=26RS&b=HB971
Source: official Louisiana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.