HOSPITALS: Amends rules relative to certain licensure requirements of hospitals.
Summary
SCR 2 is a concurrent resolution that amends a Louisiana Department of Health rule governing hospital licensure and architectural plan review. Specifically, it updates the referenced design standard in LAC 48:I.9305(N)(2)(b) so that hospital plans must comply with the most recent edition of the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI), Guidelines for Design and Construction of Hospitals and Outpatient Facilities, rather than the 2014 edition. The resolution also directs the Louisiana Register to print the amendment and incorporate it into the Louisiana Administrative Code.
The measure is framed as a technical update to keep Louisiana’s hospital construction and design requirements aligned with current FGI standards, which are periodically revised. It relies on the legislature’s authority under R.S. 49:969 to suspend, amend, or repeal agency rules by concurrent resolution. The practical effect is to update the standards used by the Office of State Fire Marshal and the Department of Health when reviewing hospital architectural plans and licensure-related submissions.
Impact
The resolution changes an administrative rule, not a statute, by replacing the outdated 2014 FGI reference with the most current edition in the hospital plan-review process. This affects hospital owners, architects, designers, builders, the Office of State Fire Marshal, and the Louisiana Department of Health by requiring compliance with updated facility design guidance for new or modified hospital construction. It also requires publication of the amended rule in the Louisiana Administrative Code, ensuring the change is formally incorporated into state regulatory materials.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Senate 38-0 and the House 78-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The available context suggests lawmakers viewed it as a routine modernization of hospital design standards rather than a policy dispute.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive opposition in the available record. The only potential point of discussion is the choice to move from a fixed 2014 edition to the most current FGI edition, which could affect future compliance obligations for hospital projects and may require regulated parties to track updates more closely. However, no committee testimony or recorded dissent is provided, and the unanimous votes suggest no significant contention among legislators.
Urges and requests the federal government to avoid reductions in Medicaid funding that would adversely affect Louisiana's rural hospitals and the communities they serve.
Commends and recognizes Film Louisiana for its contributions to economic development and designates April 15, 2026, as Film Louisiana Day at the Louisiana State Capitol
Requests the health profession licensing boards to work with the commissioner of administration to identify funds from their cash and cash equivalent year-end balances that can be transferred into the state general fund.