APPROPRIATIONS/JUDGMENT: Appropriates funds for payment of a consent judgment against the state in the suit entitled State of La., through the Dept. of Transportation and Development v. Martin T. Frey et al.

HB 44 appropriates $3,639.68 from Louisiana's state general fund to pay a final court-ordered settlement (consent judgment) related to a 2022 lawsuit. The funds cover the state's obligation to Martin T. Frey, Four Oaks Farm, and Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company as subrogee, for costs including principal, interest, court fees, and expert witness expenses. This bill directly affects the state treasury and the parties named in the existing judgment, requiring payment from the specified appropriation. It is a procedural funding measure with no new policy provisions, solely enabling payment of a prior court ruling.