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HB 611

HEALTH/WOMEN'S: Provides relative to pregnancy-related service centers (OR +$643,678 GF EX See Note)

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Aimee Freeman

Louisiana will require pregnancy help centers that provide healthcare services to obtain LDH licensure and meet standardized safety, privacy, and quality requirements.

Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
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Bill Summary · HB 611

Summary of HB 611 (2026, Louisiana)

Title

Pregnancy Help Center Healthcare Licensing Act

Purpose and Intent

  • Establishes a licensing framework for pregnancy-related service centers (pregnancy help centers) that provide healthcare services.
  • Gives the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) authority to regulate, license, supervise, and enforce standards for centers offering medical-related screening, diagnostics, or counseling presented as healthcare.
  • Aims to ensure patient safety and quality of care for services presented as medical care at pregnancy help centers.

Key Provisions

Licensure and Scope

  • Creates a new Part VI-H in Title 40 (R.S. 40:2180.31 through 2180.38) to govern licensing of pregnancy help centers.
  • Any pregnancy help center that provides healthcare services must be licensed by LDH as a healthcare facility.
  • Centers that provide only non-medical services (e.g., peer counseling, material assistance, religious counseling) are not subject to licensure under this part.

Definitions

  • Defines terms including:
    • “Client” – recipient of services.
    • “Department” – LDH.
    • “Healthcare services” – medical care activities such as pregnancy testing, ultrasound imaging, medical screening/diagnostics, and pregnancy counseling presented as medical advice.
    • “Licensed healthcare facility” – facility licensed by LDH under Title 40.
    • “Pregnancy help center” – organization primarily providing pregnancy-related services, counseling, testing, or information.

Licensing Standards and Oversight

  • LDH must promulgate rules establishing minimum licensure standards, covering:
    • Staff qualifications and scope of practice.
    • Clinical supervision by licensed medical professionals.
    • Infection control and equipment safety.
    • Client confidentiality and privacy compliance.
    • Record-keeping and reporting.
    • Complaint handling and inspections.
  • Standards must be comparable to those applied to similarly situated outpatient healthcare facilities and tied to patient safety and quality of care.

Inspections and Compliance

  • Licensed centers are subject to:
    • Initial licensure inspections.
    • Periodic (including unannounced) inspections as determined by LDH.
  • LDH may investigate complaints alleging violations.

Enforcement and Penalties

  • LDH may deny, suspend, or revoke licensure for violations.
  • Centers knowingly providing healthcare services without licensure may face:
    • Civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation per day.
    • Injunctive relief to halt unlicensed operation.
  • The Louisiana Attorney General can bring enforcement actions.

Construction and Limitations

  • The act does not:
    • Require abortion services or referrals.
    • Regulate religious doctrine, prayer, or counseling unrelated to healthcare.
    • Impose limits on speech or advocacy not connected to healthcare.

Transition and Implementation Timeline

  • Transition period: Centers providing healthcare services on the act’s effective date have six months to apply for licensure.
  • During transition, centers may continue operating while licensure applications are pending, provided they comply with interim standards set by LDH.

Severability

  • If any provision is held invalid, the remainder remains in effect.

Affected Entities

  • Pregnancy help centers in Louisiana that provide healthcare services (medical screening, ultrasound, pregnancy testing, medical counseling presented as healthcare) will be required to obtain LDH licensure.
  • Centers offering only non-medical services are not subject to licensure under this act.

Administrative Details

  • Name of the act: Pregnancy Help Center Healthcare Licensing Act.
  • Effective transition provision: six-month licensure application window from enactment date.
  • Relationship to existing law: Adds new licensure regime to Title 40, Chapter 11 (Part VI-H).

Potential Impact

  • Increases regulatory oversight of facilities presenting medical services in pregnancy-related contexts.
  • Establishes standardized patient-safety and privacy requirements for licensed centers.
  • Creates potential administrative and financial compliance burdens for qualifying centers.
  • Provides enforcement tools (licensure denial/suspension/revocation, civil penalties) to ensure adherence.

If you’d like, I can compare this bill to current LDH licensing requirements for other outpatient facilities to highlight alignment and differences.

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

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