Louisiana legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Louisiana HR237: CENSUS: Memorializes Congress to enact a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act directing the Department of Defense to provide accurate on-base population counts for the decennial census
Status: Passed both chambers, May 27, 2026
What the bill says
A resolution To memorialize the United States Congress to enact a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act directing the Department of Defense to furnish official personnel counts directly to the United States Census Bureau for military installations located in the contiguous United States.
From the introduced text:
A RESOLUTION To memorialize the United States Congress to enact a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act directing the Department of Defense to furnish official personnel counts directly to the United States Census Bureau for military installations located in the contiguous United States. WHEREAS, Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution of the United States requires an enumeration of the population of the United States every ten years; and WHEREAS, accurate census counts are essential for fair apportionment of congressional seats, proper allocation of federal funding, and accurate representation of communities across the state; and WHEREAS, Louisiana is home to three major military installations: Fort Polk, Barksdale Air Force Base, and Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, that together house tens of thousands of active-duty military personnel, civilian employees, and dependent family members; and WHEREAS, historical census counts conducted by door-to-door enumeration on these secure military installations have resulted in significant undercounts; and WHEREAS, the 2020 Census reported seven thousand nine hundred fifty personnel, spouses, dependents, and contractors residing on Fort Polk when the actual population exceeded thirty-eight thousand; and Page 1 of HLS 26RS-3464 ORIGINAL HR NO. WHEREAS, the Department of Defense and each installation's garrison personnel offices maintain precise, daily counts of all soldiers, airmen, sailors, marines, civilian employees, and dependent family members physically residing …
Sponsors
- Owen, Charles (R, 30) · primary sponsor
- Billings, Beth (R, 56)
- Braud, Jacob (R, 105)
- Farnum, Les (R, 33)
- Horton, Dodie (R, 9)
- Larvadain III, Ed (D, 26)
- Newell, Candace (D, 99)
- Schamerhorn, Rodney (R, 24)
- Thomas, Polly (R, 80)
- Walters, Joy (D, 4)
- Wyble, John (R, 75)
Latest actions
- : Taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Rules of the House.
- : Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.
- : Read by title, roll called, yeas 98, nays 0. The resolution was adopted.
- : Called from the calendar.
- : Read by title, returned to the calendar.
- : Scheduled for floor debate on 05/26/2026.
- : Read by title, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.
- : Reported favorably (10-0).
- : Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs.
- : Read by title. Lies over under the rules.
Votes
- Roll call: 98-0: 98 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House Vote on HR 237, FINAL CONSIDERATION (#1559) (May 26, 2026): 98 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is HR237?
- HR237 is a bill in the Louisiana Legislature (2026 Regular Session): CENSUS: Memorializes Congress to enact a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act directing the Department of Defense to provide accurate on-base population counts for the decennial census.
- What does HR237 do?
- In its own words: A resolution To memorialize the United States Congress to enact a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act directing the Department of Defense to furnish official personnel counts directly to the United States Census Bureau for military installations located in the contiguous United States.
- What is the status of HR237?
- Passed both chambers as of May 27, 2026. Latest action: Taken by the Clerk of the House and presented to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Rules of the House. (May 28, 2026).
- Who sponsored HR237?
- Owen, Charles (R, 30), with 10 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HR237?
- On the Louisiana Legislature website: https://legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?s=26RS&b=HR237
Source: official Louisiana record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.