Louisiana Senate Bill SB233

Louisiana 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/26/26
• Refer: 2/26/26
• Refer: 3/9/26
• Report Pass: 4/7/26
• Engrossed: 4/14/26
• Refer: 4/15/26
• Refer: 5/5/26
• Refer: 5/6/26
• Report Pass: 5/12/26
• Enrolled: 5/20/26
• Chaptered: 5/29/26
• Passed: 5/29/26

Caption

STATE AGENCIES: Establishes the Louisiana Statewide Data Exchange Compact. (gov sig) (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

Summary

SB 233 creates the Louisiana Statewide Data Exchange Compact and authorizes the Office of Technology Services (OTS) to develop and administer it. The compact is intended to provide a single legal and technical framework for secure, privacy-compliant data sharing among state agencies and certain public higher education institutions. It is designed to govern how confidential information may be disclosed, used, and protected when agencies exchange data for authorized purposes. The bill defines key terms such as “agency,” “data exchange,” and the compact itself, and directs OTS to create a template agreement for participating agencies. OTS must also establish a committee of participating agencies to advise on the compact, review it at least twice a year, and recommend updates to reflect changes in law and data security practices. Participation is voluntary, agencies may withdraw or amend their participation, and each participating agency must sign the compact as the primary governance document for safeguarding shared data.

Impact

The bill adds new law in Title 39 establishing R.S. 39:18.1 through 18.3, giving OTS formal authority to create rules and administer a statewide interagency data-sharing framework. It affects state departments, boards, commissions, offices, authorities, councils, institutions, and public colleges and universities that choose to participate, while preserving each agency’s ownership of its own data and requiring receiving agencies to maintain administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. The act is labeled as having no fiscal impact, and it is intended to align agency data-sharing practices with state and federal privacy and security requirements.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly supported. It passed the Senate 36-1 and the House 81-8, indicating strong bipartisan approval with only limited opposition. The lack of committee transcript material suggests there was little recorded public controversy in the available record, and the final enactment as Act 477 indicates the measure was ultimately accepted by both chambers and signed into law.

Contention

The main points of potential concern are the handling of confidential information, the scope of OTS’s coordinating role, and whether a statewide compact could affect agency autonomy over data governance. The bill addresses these concerns by making participation voluntary, preserving each agency’s ownership rights, and allowing agencies to amend or terminate participation if the compact is no longer appropriate. Any remaining hesitation likely centered on privacy, security, and the balance between centralized standards and agency-specific needs, but the recorded votes suggest those concerns did not prevent passage.