Bill that would eliminate DEI programs in Louisiana advances

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A Louisiana House committee approved a bill that would eliminate DEI programs and mandates in state government and higher education.

House Bill 421, sponsored by Rep. Emily Chenevert (R-Baton Rouge), aims to abolish all DEI programs, offices, positions and employee performance requirements. The bill was amended Wednesday night to include any mandated DEI programs within higher education.

The bill would require state agency heads to submit a written report to the Commissioner of Administration at the end of the year outlining their actions to comply with the proposed law. In turn, the commissioner will have until February 2026 to submit a report to lawmakers detailing what’s been discovered and provide any recommendations regarding DEI.

Lawmakers question what this bill would mean for Southern and Grambling State universities.

“They will all continue to do everything that they’re doing, Rep. Larvadain, and this is strictly about mandating DEI-related courses based on when people were just prohibiting, mandating courses for students,” Chenevert said. 

Chenevert said the bill would not prohibit compliance with:

• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
• The Americans with Disabilities Act.

Despite the opposition, the bill cleared the committee and will next be debated by the full House.

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