APPROPRIATIONS/JUDGMENT: Appropriates funds for payment of the consent judgment against the state in the suit entitled Bentz C. Braud, IV, et ux v. State of Louisiana through the Department of Transportation and Development

HB 97 appropriates $450,000 from Louisiana's state general fund to pay a court-ordered judgment against the state in the lawsuit *Bentz C. Braud, IV, et ux v. State of Louisiana through DOTD*. The bill specifically funds the principal, interest, court costs, and expert fees from a 2026 consent judgment (Case #130384), directly affecting the state treasury and the plaintiff, Bentz Braud. Section 2 allocates $150,000 for future medical care from a separate Future Medical Care Fund, while the remaining $300,000 comes from the general fund. The payment is contingent on the judgment being final and documentation being submitted to the state treasurer.