March 31, 2026

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Advocacy Update

State Advocacy

We are in the middle of the fourth week of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session, and ACECL is actively working to advance the policies that support the business of engineering.

Our primary legislative focus this session is HB 387 by Representative Foy Gadberry, which seeks to bring clarity and enforcement to Louisiana’s incidental engineering law. The bill establishes a clear boundary limiting incidental engineering performed by architects to within five feet of a building’s foundation and authorizes the State Fire Marshal to enforce these provisions. This effort is aimed squarely at protecting public safety and public dollars while ensuring that engineering design is performed by licensed engineers. We have received expected opposition from the architects and some unexpected opposition from other industry groups who believe the five-foot delineation will confuse scope of work responsibility and will limit general contractors’ ability to properly manage project workflows and choice of professional, particularly for private projects. Our position is that it will do the exact opposite by specifically defining where the architect's design responsibilities end and where the engineer's begin.

In addition to our legislation, ACECL remains actively engaged in monitoring and responding to bills that may impact procurement practices, liability, and the overall business climate for engineering firms. For example, we formally supported HB 170 and HB 194 by Representative Neil Riser, which both passed out of the House Civil Law Committee yesterday. HB 170 establishes that any legal disputes arising from projects designed and constructed in Louisiana will be governed by Louisiana laws. HB 194 specifies that the 5-year peremptive period to bring a contract claim against a design professional begins when the owner maintains occupancy of the building or six months after the certificate of completion. ACECL also worked with Senator Mike Reese on SB 315, which will increase the total project cost threshold requiring state agencies to use the engineer or architect selection board to select a designer from $1 million to $2 million, to amend the bill to include a contract distribution requirement. FPC provided data that showed this increase to the threshold will have an annual impact of about 5 projects totaling around $7 million in total project cost.

Our Capitol Calculus updates continue to provide members with real-time insights into legislative developments, and we encourage all members to stay engaged, provide feedback, and participate in our advocacy efforts throughout the session. You can access all these legislative updates by clicking the button below.

Capitol Calculus

Federal Advocacy

At the federal level, several significant developments are unfolding that could have meaningful implications for engineering firms, particularly in the areas of contracting requirements and diversity programs.

First, ongoing legal challenges surrounding the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program are creating uncertainty in how the program will be implemented moving forward. While DBE programs have long played a role in expanding opportunities for small and disadvantaged firms, recent court actions are prompting federal agencies to reassess certain aspects of program administration. ACEC National is actively monitoring these developments and engaging with federal partners to ensure that any changes maintain fairness and consistency.

Additionally, President Trump recently signed an Executive Order addressing DEI-related requirements for federal contractors signals a shift in how diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives may be treated in federal procurement. The order raises questions about compliance expectations and could impact how engineering firms structure internal policies and respond to federal contract requirements. ACEC is working to provide clarity to member firms and advocate for practical, legally sound implementation that does not create unnecessary risk or administrative burden for all of our member firms.

As these federal issues evolve, ACECL will continue to coordinate closely with ACEC National to ensure Louisiana firms are informed, prepared, and effectively represented in Washington.

ACECL BOARD OF GOVERNORS

The Board of Governors met on Friday, March 20, 2026.

March 20th, 2026
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AFFILIATE SPOTLIGHT

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