Committee advances Senate Bill 122 to expand contractor licensing, add roofing and solar categories and protect financial disclosures

Senate Bill 122, presented to the Committee on House and Governmental Affairs on May 28, 2025, proposes broad changes to the state contractor-licensing regime, including new license types for residential roofing and solar energy contractors and expanded recordkeeping and disclosure rules.

Senator Abraham (presenting) told members the bill “rewrites some of the Louisiana contracting licensing law,” adds residential roofing and solar licensing requirements, expands the contractor definition and cost thresholds, requires licensees to keep records for five years, and authorizes fines up to 10% of project value. The bill also would require contractors to register licensing classifications under a verified business name, strengthen qualifying-party and financial-disclosure requirements, and require insurance or bonding to avoid bid bans.

Nut graf: Committee discussion focused on consumer protection (written-contract requirements and permit verification), the bill’s five-year recordkeeping and fine provisions, an amendment clarifying an exclusion in Title 37 for custom commercial defense vessel designers/builders, and a request that certain financial disclosures be exempt from public records. After amendment set 3510 was adopted, Vice Chair Lyons moved the measure favorable as amended; committee reported SB122 favorably as amended by unanimous consent.

Brad Hassard, executive director of the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, described enforcement problems the licensing board sees when contracts are verbal and urged written contracts to protect both consumers and contractors. Representatives raised practical questions about residential permitting—how building permit offices would verify subs when subs change over the course of a job—and about the longstanding homeowner exemption; Hassard confirmed a homeowner acting as their own contractor remains exempt under existing statute, and the one-per-year limit for owner-builder exemptions remains unchanged.

Ending: The committee reported SB122 favorably as amended. Committee members directed staff and sponsors to finalize amendment language; the bill will proceed for further consideration in the House.