Louisiana Bills

This legislative bill is a ceremonial resolution that formally congratulates the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) on its 175th anniversary. It specifically recognizes the contributions of the YMCA of the Capital Area in Louisiana and encourages the organization to continue its work in community development and wellness. The measure does not create new laws or change any policies; instead, it serves to honor the organization's history and express legislative support for its ongoing mission.

This bill is a concurrent resolution that officially commends baseball player Jonathan Lucroy for his induction into the 2026 class of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. The measure highlights his athletic achievements, including his collegiate records at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, his twelve-year Major League Baseball career, and his role in helping Team USA win gold in 2017. By passing this resolution, the Louisiana Legislature formally recognizes Lucroy's contributions to sports and sends a copy of the document to him as a gesture of appreciation.

This resolution designates Tuesday, May 12, 2026, as A Day Without Child Care Day at the Louisiana State Capitol to raise awareness about early childhood education challenges. The measure directly affects child care providers, educators, and families by acknowledging the workforce crisis caused by low wages and high staff turnover in the sector. It serves as a symbolic gesture supporting the National Day Without Child Care initiative, which advocates for better funding and working conditions for early childhood educators. The bill does not change laws or allocate money but formally recognizes the date for advocacy and reflection on the state's child care system.

This bill directs Louisiana's major public higher education systems to conduct internal audits of all state and federal money spent on increasing the number of graduates from underrepresented minority groups between fiscal years 2021 and 2026. The affected institutions must examine specific expenses such as staff salaries, recruitment programs, scholarships, and vendor contracts related to this goal and submit their findings to the legislative auditor. The legislative auditor will then combine these individual reports into a single written document for the state legislature to review. This measure is designed to provide oversight on how public funds are used to meet specific diversity objectives without creating new spending or changing existing programs.

This bill updates Senate Rule 1.2 to ban individuals from wearing eyeglasses equipped with video or audio recording devices inside the Senate chamber. The restriction applies to everyone entering the chamber, with the only exception being those who receive explicit permission from the Senate President. By amending the existing rules of order, the legislation aims to control recording activities within the legislative space without addressing other operational details.

This legislative resolution directs the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment to hold a hearing reviewing the 2022 Louisiana Climate Action Plan and its related priority plan. The measure aims to assess whether these documents remain relevant under current state and federal policies that emphasize energy production and limited government intervention. During the hearing, the committee may solicit input from various state agencies and stakeholders to evaluate the plan's alignment with economic goals and national objectives. Additionally, the review is tasked with investigating potential foreign influences in the original plan's creation and determining which provisions should be retained or repudiated.

SB 500 is a procedural amendment that modifies the text of a bill concerning medical review panels by inserting a specific formatting marker on page 3. This change does not alter the substantive policies affecting healthcare providers or patients but adjusts the bill's structure for legislative processing. The legislation is currently in the early stages of the state senate's review process and has not yet been enacted into law.

This bill is a resolution that asks the Louisiana Housing Corporation to work with other state agencies to study whether it's possible to create a housing assistance program using vacant state-owned property. The program would specifically help state government employees who spend more than 30% of their income on rent, with priority for those spending over 50%. To support this study, the resolution requests that the Division of Administration provide data on available vacant state property and that the State Civil Service Commission supply salary information for state employees. The Louisiana Housing Corporation would then report its findings back to the House of Representatives and the Appropriations Committee.

SB 68 proposes a constitutional amendment to give the Louisiana Supreme Court exclusive authority to discipline lawyers not licensed in Louisiana who practice law or offer legal services within the state. This specifically affects out-of-state attorneys who are "specially admitted," "not admitted," "licensed in another state," or "own a law firm" in Louisiana, including those with supervisory roles over local lawyers. The amendment would revise Article V, Section 5(B) of the state constitution to clarify this jurisdiction and requires voter approval at the April 2027 election. The bill does not change existing disciplinary rules for Louisiana-licensed attorneys.

SB 180 proposes a constitutional amendment allowing surviving spouses of disabled veterans to transfer their property tax exemption to a new homestead property. Specifically, if a veteran with a service-connected disability (rated 50% or higher by the VA) received an expanded property tax exemption, their surviving spouse can transfer that exemption to a new home they own and occupy - once, and limited to the value claimed on the previous home. The exemption applies to properties where the veteran’s disability rating was 50%-70% (covering $10,000 in value), 70%-100% (covering $12,000), or 100% (covering all value beyond the homestead exemption). The transfer requires verification by the property assessor and is effective January 1, 2027, pending voter approval.

HB 824 establishes an annual spending cap for Louisiana's state general fund by calculating a "Government Growth Limit" based on population growth and inflation (using U.S. Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics data) from the previous five years. This limit restricts how much annual state funding can be allocated for ongoing expenses, requiring any amounts above the cap to fund one-time costs instead. Exceptions apply to funds from the Budget Stabilization Fund, federal funding replacements, or other designated sources. The bill affects all state budget decisions and requires the governor and legislature to adhere to this cap when proposing or approving spending.

HB 926, the "Louisiana Medical Freedom Act," prohibits public buildings, government services, and businesses from denying access or services based on an individual's vaccine status or refusal of any medical intervention (including vaccines). It bans government entities from requiring vaccinations for public building access, employment, or services, and prevents businesses from denying services or employment based on medical intervention refusal. The bill explicitly states that healthy individuals cannot be excluded from public activities during health emergencies due to declining a vaccine. This law applies broadly to all public facilities, government services, and businesses operating in Louisiana.