Provides for an extension to the moratorium for nursing facilities. (8/1/26)

Senate Bill 31 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Section 40:2116.1(B)(1) to extend an existing moratorium on the establishment of new nursing facilities and the addition of new beds at existing nursing facilities. The moratorium period is extended from its current expiration date of July 1, 2027, to July 1, 2032. The amendment modifies the statutory language to specify that the moratorium shall remain in effect until the new date of July 1, 2032. The bill becomes effective on August 1, 2026, allowing the extension to take effect approximately five years before the current moratorium was scheduled to expire.

The extension directly affects nursing home operators, prospective owners seeking to establish new facilities, and entities attempting to expand bed capacity at existing nursing homes. All applications for new nursing facility licenses or for additional beds at current facilities remain prohibited during the extended moratorium period from August 1, 2026, through June 30, 2032. Healthcare providers, investors, and commercial entities interested in expanding nursing home operations in Louisiana cannot proceed with licensing applications during this timeframe. However, existing licensed nursing facilities may continue to operate without restriction under current law.

The moratorium operates within Louisiana's healthcare licensing and regulatory framework administered by the Department of Health. Revised Statutes 40:2116.1 establishes the facility need review process and exemptions from the moratorium, which remain unchanged by this bill. The moratorium itself reflects a state policy decision to limit the proliferation of nursing facility bed capacity. Other provisions within R.S. 40:2116.1 contain exceptions to the moratorium for certain categories of facilities or circumstances, and those exceptions remain available and operative throughout the extended moratorium period created by this legislation.