As the 2026 Louisiana Legislative Session wraps up, LSU will see many changes. From new authority to punish those associated with hazing events, possible accreditation changes and fewer tuition restrictions, here are a few of the notable acts passed.
Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act
Following the death of Caleb Wilson in a hazing incident that took place on Southern University’s campus in 2025, Louisiana lawmakers made it known that they would work to fight against unlawful hazing culture. The act, proposed by Rep. Vanessa LaFleur, D-Baton Rouge, would endeavor to prevent deaths like Wilson’s and ensure that these incidents no longer go unpunished.
“For too long, campus hazing accountability stopped at the individual level while the organizations that created and protected that culture walked away untouched,” LaFleur said “The Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act closes that gap.”
The bipartisan bill, effective in the 2027-28 academic year, will require increased institutional reporting, group training and Board of Regents oversight on the issue. Permanent campus bans would be imposed on groups that repeatedly break the law, as included in the act.
“No student should have to risk their life to belong,” said LaFleur. “No family should have to turn their grief into legislation just to be heard, but the Wilson family did, and Louisiana answered.”
Student disciplinary proceedings
House Bill 738, proposed by Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, redefines the processes involved with punishing students for misconduct on college campuses.
The law, effective Aug. 1, 2026, allows students to have an advocate or attorney if accused of violating misconduct codes and requires a higher burden of proof to be punished, unless bodily harm or death occurred in the incident. If so, “the institution shall establish responsibility by a preponderance of the evidence,” according to the act.
Under the law, universities will have fewer constraints when gathering evidence and punishing students involved in hazing events that resulted in bodily harm or death when compared to proving beyond a reasonable doubt in other cases.
Penalty enhancements for drug-dree zones
House Bill 568 by Rep. Michael Firment, R-Pollock, now makes the use of marijuana within 2,000 feet of campus a felony charge. If convicted, offenders could face imprisonment for up to a year and a fine of up to $1,000.
Deepfakes punishable
In a bill proposed by Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, LSU will now be able to punish students and employees for harassment using deepfakes.
Senate Bill 347 added deepfakes to the list of power-based violent offenses, which are now punishable on campus through LSU’s Title IX and Civil Rights Office.
The law comes after an increased use of harassment with deepfakes among young adults as artificial intelligence becomes more popular.
Accreditation
Senate Bill 304, proposed by Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, will now give the Board of Regents more authority over college accreditation by establishing statewide policies.
The law allows for colleges to change accreditors as long as they are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, subject to the approval of the board. Current law requires Louisiana colleges to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
The move to give this power to the Board of Regents was suggested by Gov. Landry’s higher education task force, assembled in November 2025, which recommended that Louisiana colleges join the more conservative accreditor group, the Commission for Public Higher Education.
Public funding of athletes
House Bill 608 by Rep. Tehmi Chassion, D-Lafayette, would allow for Louisiana’s public records law to conceal exactly how much of public funding goes toward athletes that LSU participates in “revenue sharing” with.
LSU’s Athletic Department directly supported the bill, with Executive Deputy Athletics Director Julie Cromer and Senior Deputy AD Heath Schroyer appearing at committee hearings to advocate for the proposal.
The bill was met with disapproval as it entered the Senate floor by lawmakers who felt a double standard was being created.
“These are now professional athletes getting paid more than many actual professional athletes,” said Sen. Greg Miller, R-Norco, according to the Louisiana Illuminator. “We have lost sight of our priorities. We have jumped the shark on this, and I think it’s time that we just say, ‘Enough is enough.’”
Gov. Landry has yet to sign the bill into law, but if he does not veto the bill within the week, it will become law without his signature.
Tuition and fees
Rep. Chris Turner, R-Ruston, proposed House Bill 1084, allowing colleges to increase tuition costs by no more than 10% each year and charge more for certain, more intensive programs.
The bill states that institutions must take into account “tuition and fee amounts of peer institutions, median household income in Louisiana and in states where peer institutions are located, affordability and total cost of attendance.”
The bill was sent to Gov. Landry for executive approval but has yet to be signed. If no action is taken, the bill will become law within the week, and schools can begin raising costs by January.
