Louisiana 2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee 1 R cosponsors

HB 482 — TOPS: Revises the initial and continuing eligibility requirements for a TOPS-Tech award and provides for the award amount at public colleges and universities (EG +$3,200,000 GF EX See Note)

Last action — Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on Appropriations.

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 26, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Stalled 16% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

39 added · 27 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of HB 482 modifies the way financial awards are determined for students enrolling in eligible programs at public colleges and universities. Instead of basing the award amounts on tuition rates from the 2016-2017 academic year, the new bill sets the award to either match the specific program's tuition for the 2025-2026 year or a minimum of $4,500, whichever is greater. This change is significant because it aims to ensure that financial support keeps pace with current tuition costs, making higher education more accessible for first-time freshmen starting in the 2026-2027 academic year.

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HLS 26RS-1206 ORIGINAL Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO.
HLS 26RS-1206 ENGROSSED Regular Session HOUSE BILL NO.
Revises the initial and continuing eligibility requirements for a TOPS-Tech award andraisestheawardamountatLouisianaCommunityandTechnicalCollegeSystem (LCTCS) institutions AN ACT To amend and reenact R.S.
Revises the initial and continuing eligibility requirements for a TOPS-Tech award and provides for the award amount at public colleges and universities AN ACT To amend and reenact R.S.
* * * (c) In an eligible program at a college under the supervision and management of the Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges as provided in R.S.
* * * (c) In an eligible program at a public college or university, notwithstanding anyprovision of this Subsection to the contrary, shall be awarded bythe state either an amount determined by the administering agency to equal the award amount for that program at that college or university during the 2025-2026 academic year or four thousand five hundred dollars, whichever is greater.
17:3217.1(A), notwithstanding anyprovision of this Subsection to the contrary, shall be awarded by the state four thousand five hundred dollars.
HLS 26RS-1206 ORIGINAL HB NO.
HLS 26RS-1206 ENGROSSED HB NO.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, a student who is otherwise eligible for a TOPS-Tech award pursuant to this Chapter maydefer his award acceptance and shall retain his award eligibilityif he enrolls as a first-time freshman in a college under the supervision and management of the Page 2 of 5 CODING:
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, a student who is otherwise eligible for a TOPS-Tech award pursuant to this Chapter maydefer his award acceptance and shall retain his award eligibilityif he enrolls as Page 2 of 5 CODING:
HLS 26RS-1206 ORIGINAL HB NO.
HLS 26RS-1206 ENGROSSED HB NO.
482 Board of Supervisors of Community and Technical Colleges as provided in R.S.
482 a first-time freshman in an eligible program at a public college or universityprior to reaching the age of twenty-five.
17:3217.1(A) prior to reaching the age of twenty-five.
HLS 26RS-1206 ORIGINAL HB NO.
HLS 26RS-1206 ENGROSSED HB NO.
1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HB 482 Original 2026 Regular Session Turner Abstract:
1:13(B) and 24:177(E)] HB 482 Engrossed 2026 Regular Session Turner Abstract:
Revises the initial and continuing eligibility requirements for a TOPS-Tech award and raises the award amount at La.
Revises the initial and continuing eligibility requirements for a TOPS-Tech award and provides for the award amount to equal $4,500 or the award amount for a specific program at a specific institution during the 2025-2026 academic year, whichever is greater.
Community and Technical Colleges System (LCTCS) institutions.
Award amount Present law provides that award amounts at public postsecondaryeducation institutions are equal to the tuition charged by the institution during the 2016-2017 academic year.
Award amount Present law bases award amounts on the amount of tuition charged bythe institution during the 2016-2017 academic year.
Proposed law retains present law except provides that the award amount for a TOPS-Tech eligible student who enrolls at an LCTCS college shall be $4,500, applicable to those enrolling as first-time freshmen during or after the 2026-2027 academic year.
Proposed law retains present law except provides that the award amount for a TOPS-Tech eligible student who enrolls in an eligible program at a public college or university shall be either the award amount for that program at that institution for the 2025-2026 academic year or $4,500, whichever is greater.
Proposed law provides that proposed law is applicable to those enrolling as first-time freshmen during or after the 2026-2027 academic year.
Proposed law provides than student who is otherwise eligible for a TOPS-Tech award may defer his award acceptance while retaining eligibility if he enrolls as a first-time freshman at any LCTCS college prior to turning 25 years old.
Proposedlawprovidesthatastudent whoisotherwiseeligiblefor a TOPS-Techawardmay defer his award acceptance while retaining eligibility if he enrolls as a first-time freshman in an eligible program at any public college or university prior to turning 25 years old.
HLS 26RS-1206 ORIGINAL HB NO.
HLS 26RS-1206 ENGROSSED HB NO.
17:5002(D)(1)(c) and 5024(D)) Page 5 of 5 CODING:
17:5002(D)(1)(c) and 5024(D)) Summary of Amendments Adopted by House The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Education to the original bill:
1.
Provide that the award amount is either $4,500 or the 2025-2026 academic year award amount, whichever is greater, and apply this revised award amount to students enrolled in an eligible program at any public college or university (not just an LCTCS institution).
2.
AllowTOPS-Tech-eligiblestudentstodefertheirawardandmaintaineligibility if theyenroll in anypublic college or university(not just an LCTCS institution) prior to turning 25.
Page 5 of 5 CODING:
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Amendments

2 amendments

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Action History

  1. Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on Appropriations.

  2. Reported with amendments (14-0).

  3. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Education.

  4. First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.

  5. Prefiled.

  6. Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Education.

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 146 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (146)

146 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

education
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 482?
HB 482 is sponsored by Christopher Turner (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 482?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced February 26, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 482?
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