Authorizes each postsecondary system management board to digitize student IDs for use in LA Wallet. (8/1/26) (EG INCREASE SG EX See Note)

Senate Bill 353 enacts a new provision in the Louisiana Revised Statutes authorizing the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University to make student identification cards available as digitized credentials through LA Wallet. The bill adds subsection (H) to R.S. 17:3351, which outlines the general powers and duties of postsecondary education management boards. This new subsection specifically grants the LSU System Board of Supervisors the authority to digitize student identification cards for all students enrolled in LSU System schools and make them accessible through the LA Wallet system, which is the state's official digital wallet platform established under Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. The legislation requires the Board to accomplish this digitization by August 1, 2027, establishing a mandatory timeline for implementation across the entire LSU System.

The practical effect of this legislation impacts LSU System students, the LSU Board of Supervisors, and the administrative and technical infrastructure supporting student services across the system. Students enrolled in any school within the LSU System will gain the ability to carry their student identification credentials in digital form through their personal LA Wallet applications on mobile devices, eliminating the need to carry physical ID cards. The LSU Board of Supervisors assumes the responsibility and authority to establish the procedures, technical standards, and security protocols necessary to convert existing student identification cards into compliant digital credentials. IT departments and administrative offices within the LSU System will need to develop or acquire the necessary technology to securely generate, distribute, and manage these digital student IDs in coordination with the state's LA Wallet infrastructure.

This bill operates within the existing framework established by Subpart E of Part I of Chapter 1 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes, which authorizes and governs the LA Wallet system as Louisiana's digital credential platform. The measure fits within the broader statutory authority granted to the Board of Supervisors under R.S. 17:3351 to manage the LSU System and implement policies for its operations. By referencing the LA Wallet statutory authority, the bill ensures that any digital student credentials created under this provision must comply with the security, data protection, and operational standards established for state digital credentials, thereby protecting student information and maintaining consistency with statewide digital identity standards.