National Parents Organization Applauds Louisiana’s Adoption of Shared Parenting Reform Through House Bill 1239

National Parents Organization (NPO) welcomes the enactment of Louisiana House Bill 1239.

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, June 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- National Parents Organization (NPO) welcomes the enactment of Louisiana House Bill 1239, a significant reform that recognizes the importance of both parents in a child's life following separation or divorce.

The new law establishes a presumption that children benefit from spending substantial and roughly equal time with each parent, unless specific circumstances demonstrate that a different arrangement would better serve the child's interests. It is the seventh shared parenting law passed in the last eight years.

"This legislation reflects an understanding that children deserve the opportunity to maintain strong relationships with both parents whenever possible," said Don Hubin, Chair of National Parents Organization. "Louisiana has taken an important step toward aligning family court policy with what decades of research and the experiences of families have shown."

NPO congratulates Representative Kyle M. Green for leading the effort to pass HB 1239 and thanks Representatives Regina Tempore and Sam Jenkins, along with Senators Gerald Boudreaux, Gary Carter, Katrina Jackson-Andrews, and Edward "Ed" Price, for their leadership and support throughout the legislative process.

For many years, custody disputes have often been resolved through models that concentrated parenting responsibilities primarily with one parent. Family researchers, however, have increasingly found that children generally fare best when both parents remain active participants in their lives after a family separation. Meaningful involvement from both parents has been associated with stronger emotional health, improved educational outcomes, and greater overall well-being.

By establishing shared parenting as the starting point for custody determinations, HB 1239 encourages parents to focus on cooperative child-rearing rather than positional battles over custody labels. The reform is expected to reduce conflict, promote parental engagement, and help preserve important family relationships during a difficult transition.

The law also contains important protections. Courts retain full discretion to depart from the shared parenting presumption whenever evidence indicates that doing so is necessary to protect a child's welfare. Cases involving abuse, neglect, domestic violence, or other serious concerns remain subject to individualized judicial review.

"Children should not have to lose a parent because their parents no longer live together," Hubin said. "HB 1239 recognizes that, in most families, children benefit when both parents remain actively involved in raising them. Louisiana lawmakers deserve recognition for placing children's long-term interests at the forefront of this discussion."

The enactment of HB 1239 marks another milestone in the growing national movement toward evidence-based family court policies that support healthy parent-child relationships after separation. National Parents Organization looks forward to seeing the positive impact this reform will have on Louisiana families for years to come.

Lianna Verrette
National Parents Organization
info@sharedparenting.org
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