The Louisiana State Legislature referred a constitutional amendment related to the use of public funds for drinking water service lines to the Nov. 3, 2026, statewide general election ballot. Legislators passed the amendment on May 31, 2026.
In Louisiana, a two-thirds vote is required during a single session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 70 votes in the Louisiana House of Representatives and 26 votes in the Louisiana State Senate, assuming there are no vacancies.
Senate Bill 228
Introduced as Senate Bill 228 (SB 228) on Feb. 26, 2026, the constitutional amendment would authorize the use of public funds to identify, inventory, remove, or replace drinking water utility service lines affected by hazardous materials, as specified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements.
As of 2026, Article VII, Section 14 of the Louisiana state constitution prohibits funds from being "loaned, pledged, or donated to or for any person, association, or corporation, public or private." Additionally, the section provides for exceptions in which public funds may be used. SB 228 would include water utility lines impacted by certain hazardous materials in the list of exceptions.
The bill was first approved by the state Senate on May 6, 2026, by a vote of 28-9. However, the state House approved an amended version of SB 228, thereby sending it back to the state Senate for final approval. Originally, SB 228 specified certain hazardous materials, such as "lead, copper, [and] galvanized steel or iron". The amended version of the bill changed those to comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's standards.
Fifty-three Republicans and 27 Democrats supported the amendment in the state House, with 12 Republicans voting against it. Eight Republicans and five Democrats did not vote.
The state Senate approved the amended version of SB 228 by a 32-4 vote, with 22 Republicans and 10 Democrats supporting the amendment. Four Republicans voted against the amendment. Two Republicans and one Democrat did not vote.
Speaking in support of SB 228, state Sen. Royce Duplessis (D-5) said, "At the end of the day, this is about protecting public health and working to ensure there's no lead exposure. We've seen the reports about lead exposure recently, and this could be a huge step to address that."
Louisiana voters will decide on nine other ballot measures on Nov. 3, 2026. The measures include homestead tax exemptions for the surviving spouses of deceased veterans, property tax rate limits, income limits to qualify for property tax special assessments, property tax exemptions for seniors, tax exemptions for rehabilitated properties, post-conviction bail for individuals convicted of assault against minors, expropriation of property by foreign adversaries, funding for the state retirement system, and gubernatorial term limits.
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