Louisiana House Bill HB686

Louisiana 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 5/12/25
• Engrossed: 5/27/25
• Refer: 5/28/25
• Report Pass: 6/4/25
• Refer: 6/4/25
• Enrolled: 6/12/25
• Chaptered: 6/20/25
• Passed: 6/20/25

Caption

Provides for the disclosure of foreign adversaries (EN +$100,000 GF EX See Note)

Summary

HB 686 creates a new disclosure regime for lobbyists who lobby in Louisiana on behalf of a “foreign adversary” or certain foreign corporations. The bill defines “foreign adversary” by reference to federal regulations and Treasury/OFAC listings, with exclusions for entities covered by a qualified divestiture under federal law and entities with active federal procurement registrations on SAM.gov. It requires covered lobbyists to file a disclosure before lobbying, identifying the lobbyist, the foreign principal, the principal’s business activity, and the matters on which lobbying is expected to occur. The bill also requires supplemental disclosures within 10 days of any change, directs the Board of Ethics to publish disclosures and a list of late filers on its website, and authorizes the board to create rules and exchange data with other states to improve compliance. It extends similar registration and disclosure requirements to lobbyists operating under the lobbying chapters in Title 33 and Title 49, and it applies retroactively to anyone already lobbying on behalf of a foreign adversary, who must file within 30 days of the act’s effective date. The act becomes effective December 1, 2025.

Impact

HB 686 amends Louisiana’s lobbying disclosure laws in Title 24 and adds parallel requirements in Titles 33 and 49, expanding the Board of Ethics’ oversight of lobbying activity tied to foreign adversaries and designated foreign corporations. It creates new filing obligations, public reporting duties, and enforcement-related transparency tools, while also authorizing intergovernmental data sharing and rulemaking. The bill affects lobbyists, foreign principals, and the Board of Ethics, and it is expected to increase administrative workload and public access to lobbying records.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad legislative support overall, passing the House and Senate with large margins and only limited opposition. Final passage votes were strong in both chambers, and the House later overwhelmingly concurred in Senate amendments and adopted the conference report. The vote pattern suggests the measure was viewed as a transparency and national-security-related disclosure bill rather than a controversial policy shift.

Contention

The main points of contention likely centered on the scope of the definition of “foreign adversary,” the breadth of disclosure obligations for lobbyists representing foreign corporations, and the administrative burden of new reporting and public posting requirements. The bill’s use of federal foreign-adversary designations and its application to entities with foreign headquarters or principal places of business could raise concerns about overbreadth or compliance complexity. The limited number of negative votes indicates opposition existed but was not strong enough to prevent enactment.