ENROLLED
ACT No. 577
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 913
BY REPRESENTATIVE SELDERS
1 AN ACT
2 To enact Chapter 67 of Title 51 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be comprised
3 of R.S. 51:3271 through 3274, relative to transparency for utility bills; to provide for
4 certain information from utility bills for residential properties; to provide for
5 definitions; to provide for requests for information; to provide for violations, civil
6 remedies, and penalties; and to provide for related matters.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. Chapter 67 of Title 51 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,
9 comprised of R.S. 51:3271 through 3274, is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 CHAPTER 67. TENANT BILL TRANSPARENCY
11 §3271. Definitions
12 For the purposes of this Chapter, the following terms and phrases shall have
13 the meanings ascribed as follows:
14 (1) "Housing provider" means a property owner, lessor, property manager,
15 or property management company that offers residential property for lease or rent.
16 (2) "Individual meter" means a residential unit with a meter affixed to it that
17 is used to monitor the consumption of water, gas, or electricity.
18 (3) "Original bill" means the utility bill provided to the housing provider by
19 a utility for a specific unit or residential unit.
20 (4) "Tenant" means a lessee of residential property or a person whose name
21 appears on a lease indicating that he is an occupant of the residential property.
22 (5) "Third-party billing" means a form of billing where an intermediary
23 handles the invoicing and payment between a housing provider and a tenant.
Page 1 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HB NO. 913 ENROLLED
1 (6) "Unit" or "residential unit" means a living space or combination of rooms
2 designed to provide independent year-round living facilities for one family or
3 household, with provisions for sleeping, eating, and sanitation.
4 (7) "Utility" or "utilities" means a provider of water, gas, or electric service
5 that is regulated by the Louisiana Public Service Commission or a local
6 governmental subdivision or owned or operated by a local governmental subdivision.
7 §3272. Applicability
8 This Chapter applies to any housing provider that utilizes third-party billing
9 to manage utility billing for a residential unit with an individual meter and is offered
10 for lease or rent.
11 §3273. Access to utility bills
12 A. A tenant may request a housing provider to supply him with a copy of the
13 original bill for any utility supplied to the unit in which the tenant resides.
14 B. The request authorized in Subsection A of this Section shall be in writing
15 and specify the following:
16 (1) Each utility for which the tenant is requesting a copy of the original bill.
17 (2) The range of dates for which the tenant is requesting a copy of an original
18 bill or bills. Dates requested shall be no earlier than the last day of the billing cycle
19 immediately preceding the date the request is transmitted to the housing provider.
20 (3) Whether the tenant is requesting to be provided with a copy of all future
21 original bills for the utility specified in the request.
22 C. A housing provider shall supply the tenant with copies of the original bill
23 for the previous billing cycle or cycles requested in compliance with this Section
24 within thirty days of receipt of a request that complies with this Section.
25 D. A housing provider shall supply the tenant with a copy of the original bill
26 for future billing cycles requested in compliance with this Section within thirty days
27 of receipt of the original bill.
28 E. Failure of a housing provider to comply with this Section shall not relieve
29 a tenant from the responsibility to remit full payment to a third-party billing service.
Page 2 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HB NO. 913 ENROLLED
1 F. The request authorized by this Section and the response required by this
2 Section may be by electronic means if the electronic means meets the requirements
3 of the Louisiana Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, R.S. 9:2601 et seq.
4 §3274. Violations; civil remedies; penalties
5 A. A housing provider that violates the provisions of this Chapter shall be
6 fined not more than five hundred dollars per violation.
7 B. A tenant may bring a civil action against a housing provider in violation
8 of the provisions of this Chapter to enjoin further violation and recover penalties
9 pursuant to Subsection A of this Section.
10 C. The attorney general may bring an action against a housing provider in
11 violation of the provisions of this Chapter to seek injunctive relief and to impose
12 penalties pursuant to Subsection A of this Section.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
Page 3 of 3
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.