Most states' administrative law processes mirror those of the U.S. Government. Louisiana's is, like most Louisiana law, similar but with some notable differences.
******* Major changes to Louisiana's Administrative Procedure Act were made in Act 663 of the 2022 Regular Legislative Session. You should consult Act 663 when doing administrative research.********
Louisiana's Administrative Procedure Act (La. Rev. Stat. §§ 49:950 - 49:999.25) sets out the processes for making rules, administrative adjudications, and standards of judicial review, and legislative review of agency rules. However, some agencies are exempted from the APA either by the creating statute or by La. Rev. Stat. § 49:967. Be mindful of this and make sure if the agency you are researching is subject to the APA. If it is not, the agency will not publish rules in the Louisiana Administrative Code or in the Louisiana Register. Rules and updates will only be found on the agency's own website.
The Louisiana Administrative Code, published by the state, is the codification of final regulations. This is the equivalent of the Code of Federal Regulations. It is also available in print in the library's Reserve Room and on Westlaw and Lexis. Please check currentness carefully!
The thirty-eight titles (numbered 1 -76) of the Louisiana Administrative Code were printed every two years; however, starting in 2021, the Code is no longer printed. It is now published on the Division of Administration's website in PDF format and is updated periodically as new rules are promulgated. It includes a table of contents for each title as well as authority and historical notes.
The Louisiana Register is the state's Federal Register equivalent. It is a monthly publication. It is best accessed on the state's own website.
Each issue of the Louisiana Register contains a cumulative index for the calendar year. It is organized by agency - not by title number. The April, July, and October issues contain an Administrative Code Update document showing all the changes to the Administrative Code for that year. Each January issue contains an update that summarizes the previous year's changes.
To update a Louisiana Administrative Code rule, you would need to check any January issue of the Louisiana Register published since the title was last updated, as well as the most recent Administrative Code Update (published in the April, July, or October Louisiana Register), and any issues more recent than the last published Update.
Most agencies use Administrative Law judges drawn from a centralized pool.
Generally, an agency does not have the right to appeal an adverse ruling but an individual or business who loses an administrative decision can appeal the decision to the state court system.
Information about state administrative law in every state can be found through the Guide to Law Online published by the Law Library of Congress.