Requires the establishment and administration of a statewide application process for dual enrollment programs

House Bill 649 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes section 17:2943 to establish a statewide dual enrollment application process administered by the Board of Regents in coordination with Louisiana public postsecondary education institutions. The bill creates a mandatory participation requirement for all public postsecondary education institutions in this uniform application process, with a limited exception allowing institutions to opt out by providing written notice to their management board. The legislation also requires each public postsecondary education management board to coordinate with the Board of Regents to adopt institutional implementation plans designed to improve student access, operational efficiency, and cost savings, with specific provisions governing procedures for non-participation and re-entry into the statewide system. The bill implements these changes effective with the 2027-2028 school year.

The practical effect of this legislation is to streamline the dual enrollment application experience for Louisiana high school students by consolidating multiple institutional application processes into a single statewide system. High school students will now submit applications through one unified process rather than applying separately to individual public postsecondary institutions. Public postsecondary education institutions and their management boards will be required to coordinate their admission standards, notice procedures, and student access policies with the Board of Regents to ensure consistent implementation across the state. Individual institutions retain limited autonomy through the ability to formally notify their management board of non-participation, creating flexibility for institutions with distinct circumstances while preserving the statewide standardization objective.

House Bill 649 operates within the existing statutory framework of Louisiana's dual enrollment program established in Chapter 29 of Title 17 of Louisiana Revised Statutes. The bill preserves the Board of Regents' existing authority to adopt rules in consultation with the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and maintains the grant administration framework governed by section 17:2944. The legislation also preserves the authority of local public school boards to develop interinstitutional articulation and transfer agreements with public postsecondary institutions, ensuring that district-level dual enrollment arrangements remain permissible alongside the statewide application process. This coordination between state-level standardization and local educational autonomy reflects Louisiana's broader commitment to maintaining flexibility within higher education governance structures.