Compliance

The Compliance Programs Section is responsible for developing administering and implementing Civil Rights programs. These Civil Rights programs are mandated due to DOTD receiving federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, etc.

The federally mandated programs include Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Certification, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, Contract Administration, Small Business Element Certification, Small Business Element Contract Administration, Title VI, Americans with Disabilities Act, Contractor Compliance, Labor Compliance and On-the-Job Training.

The Compliance Section has the primary responsibility for ensuring the department’s compliance with the Code of Federal Regulations which governs each of the aforementioned programs, to avoid the loss of federal funding. Additional Compliance Section responsibilities required by the CFR which are sole sourced or outsourced are: National Summer Transportation Institute, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Supportive Services, On-the-Job Training Supportive Services and Hudson and Veteran Small Entrepreneurship Initiatives.

The Louisiana Unified Certification Program

The Louisiana Unified Certification Program (LAUCP) is responsible for certifying firms in Louisiana as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) and/or Airport Concessionaries (ACDBE).

The LAUCP is in receipt of new instructions from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) in the form of an Interim Final Rule (IFR) effective October 3, 2025.

The IFR removes the presumption of race- and gender-based disadvantage and requires a re-evaluation of all existing DBE/ACDBE firms based on their own individual ability to demonstrate their disadvantage; exclusive of race and gender.

LADOTD received guidance from the Louisiana Division of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and is currently evaluating IFR Narratives submitted by firms seeking re-certification. DBE firms were asked to submit their IFR Narrative by close of business on Friday, July 31, 2026.

The Compliance Programs Section will post updates on the process as they become available.

Please note per Federal Highway Administration (FHWA): New DBE applications and Interstate applications are still being accepted and will be reviewed and processed when the re-evaluation of current firms is complete. New applicants must submit a completed USDOT DBE application and required documents per the checklist located in the application; the IFR Narrative form; and the Personal Net Worth (PNW) form.  In addition, current DBE’s are not automatically decertified but must go through the re-evaluation process before being re-certified. The DBE LAUCP Directory will be updated when the re-evaluation process is complete. No goals can be set on federal aid projects until the re-evaluation process is complete.

The proposed timeline for completion of the re-evaluation process by the LAUCP is December 2026. The DBE Program Triennial Goal Methodology and the DBE Program Plan will be updated. The DBE Program will be re-started after documentation is submitted to FHWA.