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SB 45

HEALTH SERVICES: Provides relative to hospice care. (gov sig) (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX See Note)

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Bill Wheat

Creates a licensure exemption for nonprofit groups providing gratuitous end-of-life hospice care in home-like settings, treating the setting as the patient’s residence.

Effective date 5/29/2026.
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Bill Summary · SB 45

SB 45 (2026) – Louisiana Health Services: Hospice Care

Overview

SB 45 proposes an exemption from state licensure for certain nonprofit organizations that provide gratuitous end-of-life hospice care to terminally ill patients in a home-like setting. The bill adds protections and clarifications around how care is delivered, who can provide it, and how it is regulated, with the aim of facilitating care outside traditional licensed hospice facilities while maintaining patient safety and care standards.

Main purpose and intent

  • Create a licensure exemption for qualifying nonprofit organizations that furnish gratuitous (free) end-of-life hospice care to terminally ill patients in a home-like environment.
  • Treat the exempt setting as the patient’s residence for purposes of home hospice care.
  • Ensure medications and caregiving tasks are handled in a manner consistent with home hospice norms.
  • Provide a legal framework for delegation of caregiving tasks to organization-designated caregivers and for healthcare professionals who delegate under this framework.
  • Offer immunity from disciplinary or adverse actions by licensing boards to licensed professionals who delegate tasks in good faith under the bill.

Key provisions and changes

  • Exemption criteria:
    • Applies to nonprofit organizations providing gratuitous end-of-life care to terminally ill patients.
    • Care delivered in a home-like setting.
    • Organization must meet criteria specified in the statute (exact criteria to be defined in the law).
  • Patient residence treatment:
    • An exempt organization’s setting is treated as the patient’s residence for home hospice care purposes.
  • Medication handling:
    • Any medications prescribed under the patient’s plan of care must be delivered, stored, and administered as if the patient were in a home setting.
  • Caregiver delegation and roles:
    • Individuals designated by the organization can act as the patient’s caregiver.
    • Healthcare professionals may delegate tasks to these caregivers in line with the patient’s care plan.
  • Professional immunity:
    • Licensed healthcare professionals who delegate caregiver tasks under the provisions of the bill and act in good faith with reasonable care are granted immunity from disciplinary or adverse actions by licensing boards.
  • Effective date:
    • Effective upon the governor’s signature or lapse of time for gubernatorial action (standard gubernatorial action clause).
  • Location-based limitation (as amended by Senate Committee):
    • The requirement that a nonprofit provide individual private bedrooms for no more than three patients at a time applies to any single location owned or operated by the nonprofit organization.

Who would be affected

  • Eligible nonprofit organizations that provide gratuitous end-of-life hospice care in a home-like setting.
  • Terminally ill patients receiving end-of-life hospice care from such organizations.
  • Licensed healthcare professionals who delegate caregiving tasks to organization-designated caregivers under the proposed framework.
  • State licensing boards in the health professions (through potential immunity provisions for delegated tasks).

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Legislative journey:
    • Introduced in the Senate by Senator Wheat.
    • Passed the Senate committee with amendments; amended version went to the House.
    • House Committee on Health and Welfare amendments made technical changes and forwarded to the Legislative Bureau.
    • The bill includes a committee amendment clarifying the private-bedroom requirement per location.
  • Effective date:
    • Triggered by governor’s signature or gubernatorial action timing (no separate delayed effective date).

Notes

  • The bill adds R.S. 40:2183.1 to codify the new exemption framework.
  • The accompanying amendments refine implementation details and ensure alignment with licensure exemptions while safeguarding patient care standards.

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

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