2026 Legislative Advocacy Agenda

January 16, 2026

The Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council and its grassroots advocacy network, LaCAN, will focus on three key issues during the 2026 Legislative Session. These priorities aim to improve safety, increase employment opportunities, and strengthen community supports for people with disabilities in Louisiana.

Emergency Alert for People with Disabilities

Louisiana does not have an emergency alert for people with disabilities who go missing or may be in danger. Current alerts, such as Amber Alerts and Silver Alerts, only apply to children or older adults. They also may not share important information about a person’s disability or support needs.

A disability-specific alert would:

• Help locate missing individuals more quickly
• Improve public awareness and response
• Give first responders the right information to act fast and safely

As we understand it, legislation is being filed to address this issue in the upcoming session.

Increased Funding for Louisiana Rehabilitation Services

Louisiana Rehabilitation Services helps people with disabilities prepare for and find jobs. However, the program cannot use all available federal funding because the state does not provide enough matching funds.

Over the past five years, Louisiana has missed out on about $155 million in federal dollars. An investment of $6.7 million in State General Funds would allow the state to draw down all available federal funding (about $72 million).

Even with limited new funding in 2025, LRS:

• Increased new service authorizations by 35%
• Increased applications by 22%

Additional funding would allow LRS to:

• Serve more people with disabilities
• Improve employment outcomes
• Support and stabilize the workforce

The Council and LaCAN will advocate for the $6.7 million needed to draw down the full federal match.

Increased Waiver Rates and Direct Support Worker Pay

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers help people with disabilities live at home and in their communities instead of institutions. These services depend on Direct Support Workers (DSWs), who provide daily, hands-on support.

Current waiver rates do not reflect the true cost of care. As a result:

• Providers struggle to hire and keep staff
• DSWs earn very low wages, some of the lowest in the nation
• Families are left to fill in gaps in care

In 2023, the Council worked with provider agencies and advocated for the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to conduct a waiver rate study. While the study has been completed, it has not been released to the public. LDH has shared unofficially that $53.6 million in State General Funds is needed to implement recommended changes.

The Council and LaCAN will advocate for:

• Funding to increase waiver rates
• Higher wages for Direct Support Workers

Fact sheets for these issues can be found at https://laddc.org/lacan/fact-sheets/.

Get Involved

The 2026 Legislative Session begins March 9^th and will end June 1^st. Individuals with disabilities, family members, and advocates are encouraged to take part in the Council’s advocacy efforts by participating in upcoming legislative visits and roundtables.

• Interested in sharing your story and advocating for any of the issues above with legislators in your area? Reach out to your LaCAN Leader to participate in legislative visits.
• Legislative roundtables will be held throughout February and March in each region of the state. Roundtables are a great way to learn more about the issues above. Click here for the roundtable schedule and information about how to register.

For questions about roundtables, legislative visits, or participating in other advocacy events, contact your LaCAN Leader or FHF Center.