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House panel advances bill requiring 16 hours of annual training for Louisiana mayors
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Summary
The Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee on April 17 reported House Bill 4 31 favorably after adopting a technical amendment. The bill would require mayors to complete at least 16 hours annually of continuing education administered or accredited by the Louisiana Municipal Association, with compliance noted on annual audits.
House Bill 4 31, carried by Representative Carlson, would require mayors who serve as the administrative heads of municipalities to complete at least 16 hours of orientation and continuing education annually, with the Louisiana Municipal Association (LMA) responsible for approving training sessions.
Rep. Carlson told the committee the measure grew from conversations with local leaders and LMA and is intended to professionalize municipal leadership across cities both large and small. "Continuing education is a priority for LMA," Mayor Ray Bork, LMA president and mayor of Broussard, told the panel. "We are committed to raising the bar and to make our community stronger and better for those that we serve."
Under the bill, existing mandatory trainings—such as ethics, harassment prevention and cybersecurity—would count toward the 16 hours. LMA testified it would offer orientation for new mayors in their first year and a wider menu of courses thereafter, delivered through conventions, regional sessions and potentially accredited offerings from partner organizations. LMA emphasized flexibility for volunteer or bivocational mayors and said online or district‑based options would be available "when appropriate," the LMA witness said.
Committee members pressed whether failure to complete training would trigger penalties. Representative Carlson and LMA representatives said compliance would be shown on a city’s annual audit and the legislative auditor would publish a compliance list; there would be no fine or statutory removal of an elected mayor for noncompliance. "All it would be is a seal saying that a mayor has completed the required training, or you're able to see that that mayor had not completed the required training," Carlson said.
The committee adopted a technical amendment to add "municipal retirement systems" to the list of training categories and, after questions and discussion about delivery and burden for small towns, moved the bill favorably with no recorded objection. The bill is slated to take effect Jan. 1, 2027 if enacted.
