La. Stat. Ann. § R.S. 51:2237
Local human rights commissions
Operative Text
§2237. Local human rights commissions Any parish or municipality, or one or more parishes and municipalities acting jointly, may create a human rights commission, hereinafter referred to as a "local commission": (1) To provide for execution within its jurisdiction of the policies embodied in this Chapter, Chapter 3-A of Title 23 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, and the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 241). (2) To safeguard all individuals within its jurisdiction from discrimination because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age. Acts 1988, No. 886, §1; Acts 1993, No. 820, §9; Acts 1997, No. 1409, §3, eff. Aug. 1, 1997; Acts 2014, No. 756, §1. 1See, inter alia, 42 U.S.C.A. §2000A et seq.
La. R.S. § 51:2237 authorizes parishes and municipalities in Louisiana—individually or jointly—to establish local human rights commissions. These local commissions are empowered to carry out anti-discrimination policies found in state and federal civil rights law, including the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964, within their own geographic boundaries. The provision specifically identifies protection from discrimination based on race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or age as core functions of such commissions.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under La. R.S. § 51:2237, a property owner or manager operating in a Louisiana parish or municipality that has established a local human rights commission may be subject to that commission's oversight regarding fair housing and anti-discrimination obligations. Compliant operators generally familiarize themselves with whether their jurisdiction has created such a local commission and what local procedures or complaint processes it administers. Staying current with both state and locally adopted anti-discrimination policies—covering characteristics such as race, sex, disability, and religion—is a standard practice for operators in covered jurisdictions.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
La. R.S. § 51:2237 means that depending on where a tenant lives in Louisiana, a locally created human rights commission may exist with authority to address discrimination complaints based on characteristics such as race, religion, sex, disability, or national origin. Tenants who believe they have experienced housing discrimination may have the option of contacting their parish or municipal human rights commission, if one has been established, as a potential avenue for raising concerns. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can help identify whether a local commission exists in a given jurisdiction and what processes it offers.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 17, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation