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HB 1216

HEALTH SERVICES: Provides relative to the guidelines for clinical laboratory personnel

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Peter Egan and 4 co-sponsors

The bill modernizes and broadens who may perform laboratory tasks while strengthening licensing, accreditation, and enforcement for Louisiana clinical laboratory personnel.

Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
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Bill Summary · HB 1216

Summary of HB 1216 (2026) – Louisiana Health Services: Guidelines for Clinical Laboratory Personnel

Purpose and Intent

HB 1216 seeks to overhaul the governance framework for Louisiana clinical laboratory personnel. The bill modernizes terminology, expands exemptions, reorganizes the governing body, broadens who may perform certain laboratory tasks, and tightens licensing and enforcement provisions. The overarching aim appears to be updating professional titles, clarifying scope of practice, and strengthening accreditation and accountability for educational and licensure standards.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Definitions and Titles

    • Adds new terms including “training program,” “laboratory specialty,” “trainee,” “temporary permit,” and “waived test.”
    • Renames several professions for consistency with modern nomenclature:
    • Clinical Laboratory Scientist-Generalist → Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS)
    • CLS-G → MLS
    • CLSS → Medical Laboratory Scientist-Categorical (MLS-C)
    • CLS-T → Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT)
    • Changes “cytotechnology” to “cytology” throughout the act.

  • Scope of Practice and Roles

    • Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLT) may perform the functions of all licensed/certified personnel except cytologists.
    • Laboratory assistants may perform waived and moderate complexity tests; high-complexity tests remain prohibited.
    • Adds instrument operation to the defined Practice of Clinical Laboratory Science.
    • Expands the universe of personnel who may operate under broaderlicensing provisions, while removing some prior narrowly defined practice provisions (e.g., certain direct-supervision and physician-only pathways are revised).

  • Regulatory Structure and Accreditation

    • Renames the Clinical Laboratory Personnel Committee to the Clinical Laboratory Personnel Advisory Committee.
    • Board of Medical Laboratory personnel licensing/permits remains, with authority to license, permit, and renew.
    • Requires certification examinations to be administered by nationally accredited bodies or board-approved exams.
    • The bill introduces a formal accreditation trajectory for educational standards, including deadlines for compliance.

  • Temporary Permits and Fees

    • Establishes a six-month expiration for temporary permits with no renewals after expiration.
    • Adjusts licensure/renewal fees and specifically includes phlebotomists in the fee schedule.

  • Educational and Credential Requirements

    • Applicants generally must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited medical laboratory science program or equivalent, plus one year of full-time clinical experience.

  • Exemptions and Practice Scope Changes

    • Retains exemptions from licensure for certain individuals practicing laboratory science in clinical settings, while broadening or refining the scope of who is exempt or subject to permits.
    • Removes certain exemptions for respiratory therapy practitioners and directly supervised physician-employed personnel in some contexts.

  • Penalties and Compliance

    • Increases penalties for first, second, and third offenses (from $500 to $600; $1,000 to $1,200; $2,000 to $2,400 respectively).
    • Adds compliance deadlines for accreditation-related requirements (August 1, 2028, for entities to be in compliance).

Who is Affected

  • Prospective and current Louisiana clinical laboratory personnel, including MLS, MLS-C, MLT, laboratory assistants, and phlebotomists.
  • Educational institutions offering medical laboratory science programs.
  • Employers and laboratories operating in Louisiana that must meet accreditation and licensing standards.
  • The Louisiana Board of Medical Laboratory Personnel and its advisory committee.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • The amendments were proposed and adopted by the House Committee on Health and Welfare, with an effective framework to require accreditation compliance by August 1, 2028.
  • Temporary permits: six-month lifespan, no renewal beyond expiration.
  • Schedule adjustments and renaming take effect as part of the revised framework.

Note: This summary reflects the amendments enacted by the committee and the bill’s stated text as reviewed in the House.

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

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