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HB 1137

EMPLOYMENT/DISCRIMINATN: Prohibits intentional discrimination based on compelled speech with respect to using certain pronouns, names, or honorifics

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Adam Bass and 6 co-sponsors

Louisiana HB 1137 prohibits employers from forcing employees to use pronouns, names, or titles that conflict with the employee’s sex or legal name, and protects against adverse act

Effective date: 08/01/2026.
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 1137

Summary of Bill HB 1137 (Louisiana, 2026)

Quick overview

  • Purpose: Prohibit intentional employment discrimination based on compelled speech related to pronouns, names, salutations, titles, or honorifics in the workplace. Protect employees and applicants from adverse actions for refusing to engage in compelled speech.
  • Jurisdiction: Louisiana
  • Bill number: HB 1137
  • Status: Passed the Louisiana House (as of April 15, 2026) and referred to the Senate; amendments adopted by the House.

What the bill would do

  • Adds a new statutory provision, R.S. 23:333, establishing protections against discrimination tied to compelled speech in employment practices.

Definitions (Section 1)

  • Employee: Anyone who performs work for wages/remuneration and is subject to an employer’s direction, including applicants for employment.
  • Legal name: The name shown on the original birth certificate or a legally amended name.
  • Sex: Biological sex as indicated on the original birth certificate (female or male), defined in traditional biological terms.
  • (Note: The text uses narrowly defined terms to distinguish pronouns and names from the employee’s own sex and legal name.)

Prohibited practices (Section 1)

  • Prohibition on policies forcing pronouns: Employers may not adopt or enforce policies requiring employees to state or identify pronouns inconsistent with the employee’s sex.
  • Prohibition on policies forcing non-legal names: Employers may not require employees to use a name other than their legal name (or a derivative) in official records or communications.
  • Restrictions on compelled address or addressing others: An employee cannot be required, as a condition of employment, to address another person by a name other than the person’s legal name or to use pronouns, salutations, titles, or honorifics inconsistent with the person’s sex.
  • Protection against adverse actions for refusal: An employee shall not face adverse employment action for:
    • Refusing to identify their own pronouns.
    • Refusing to address someone by a non-legal name, or by pronouns/salutations/titles/honorifics inconsistent with the person’s sex.
  • Protection for using pronouns aligned with sex: Employees may not be penalized for using pronouns that align with a person’s sex.
  • Voluntary agreements permitted: Nothing prevents a voluntary, non-compelled agreement among employees about how to address someone (e.g., pronouns, titles), as long as it is not employer-imposed.

Legislative findings and intent (Section 2)

  • Affirms First Amendment principles (speech and the right to refrain from speaking) and concerns about compelled speech in employment.
  • States intent to protect employees and applicants from adverse actions linked to compelled speech and to safeguard free speech and free exercise rights in the workplace.
  • Seeks alignment with applicable First Amendment jurisprudence and court opinions.

Who is affected

  • Employees and applicants in Louisiana workplaces who might otherwise be subjected to policies or practices requiring pronouns, names, salutations, or honorifics that conflict with their sex or with the employee’s own beliefs.
  • Employers would need to ensure their policies and practices do not compel the use of pronouns or names inconsistent with sex or legal name, and to avoid adverse actions based on refusals.

Key procedural/timeline notes

  • The bill has advanced through committee and passed the House floor (final passage occurred on April 15, 2026, with a vote of 66-32).
  • Amendments adopt definitional clarifications and expand protections to include explicit allowance for voluntary agreements among employees (unrelated to employer coercion).
  • The text indicates the bill would add new law (R.S. 23:333). After House passage, it would proceed to the Senate for consideration.

Notable details

  • The bill focuses on protecting conventional definitions of sex (female/male) as the reference point for pronoun/name usage.
  • It emphasizes that voluntary, non-compulsory agreements among employees are permissible.
  • It frames the protections within the context of First Amendment and religious liberty considerations.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with current Louisiana employment law or draft a plain-language FAQ for employers and employees.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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