This bill creates a new retirement option for certain Louisiana state judges who are scheduled to lose their positions when they retire. It allows eligible judges to voluntarily retire early to save state money, in exchange for a special benefit structure that excludes the early retirement period from their service credit calculation. Judges participating in this program must not seek re-election to another judicial office and can only use this option once. The program includes specific rules about how benefits are calculated, contribution requirements, and a maximum benefit period of up to 36 months.
SB 29 requires Louisiana coroners to perform autopsies on infants under one year and children under fifteen who die unexpectedly without explanation. The autopsies must include toxicology, microscopic exams, and review of immunization records from the state registry, with coroners documenting recent immunizations in the report. Coroner findings of sudden infant death (SIDS) or similar causes must be reported to local health units within 48 hours and to the CDC/NIH registry. Parents may object in writing to an autopsy, but coroners may override this if public health or safety requires it. The bill directly affects coroners, health departments, and the state immunization registry.
HB 66 modifies administrative procedures for handling certain violations in Alexandria, Louisiana. It expands the definition of "housing violation" to include building codes, zoning, vegetation, nuisance ordinances, and sewer/drainage regulations. The bill allows Alexandria to use administrative hearings (instead of court) for these violations, as well as for licensing/permit issues and other violations approved by the city council. This change directly affects residents and businesses in Alexandria facing these specific ordinance violations. The bill does not alter penalties or create new requirements, only changing the process for resolving certain violations.
HB 79 removes legal limits on compensatory damages for noneconomic losses (like pain and suffering) in lawsuits related to carbon capture and storage operations in Louisiana. It eliminates previous caps of $250,000 per person (or $500,000 for severe injuries like permanent disability) and a $1 million fallback, allowing full recovery for such damages. The bill directly affects individuals harmed by carbon dioxide storage facilities, pipelines, or CO2 generators, shifting liability risk to operators. Key provisions amend Section 1109(B) to remove these damage thresholds while maintaining other technical requirements for site restoration and federal compliance.
HB 71 expands liability protection in Louisiana law to include qualified armed security officers. The bill defines "armed security officer" as someone meeting specific training requirements (per R.S. 37:3284(B)(2)) and holding an armed registration card issued by the Louisiana State Board of Private Security Examiners (R.S. 37:3272(A)(2)). This change directly affects licensed security professionals who carry firearms while performing their duties. The law modifies existing liability protections (R.S. 9:2793.12(A)(3)) to explicitly cover these officers under certain circumstances.
HB 160 increases penalties for domestic violence offenses involving strangulation in Louisiana. It specifically targets offenders convicted under two existing statutes: battery of a dating partner (R.S. 14:34.9) and domestic abuse battery (R.S. 14:35.3). The bill adds a mandatory prison term of 3 to 10 years at hard labor in addition to any other penalties when strangulation is involved in these offenses. This change directly affects individuals convicted of domestic violence crimes where strangulation occurred, without creating new offenses or altering the definition of domestic violence.
HB 134 requires interactive computer services (like social media platforms) that create accounts for minors to stop delivering or displaying material defined as harmful to minors (per existing law) and to avoid using algorithms to promote such content to minors. It prohibits platforms from creating or developing harmful material for minors' accounts and bans algorithmic amplification of such content. Violations can result in civil fines up to $10,000 per incident, but platforms get 45 days to fix issues before enforcement begins. Fines collected fund consumer protection efforts, and the law takes effect January 1, 2027.
HB 126 allows courts in Louisiana to permit facility dogs to accompany specific witnesses during testimony. It directly affects minors under 18, individuals with developmental disabilities (as defined by law), and victims of sex offenses (as defined in state law). The bill requires courts to permit a facility dog if available while these witnesses testify, aiming to help reduce anxiety. The provision applies during court proceedings and does not change existing legal standards or outcomes.
HB 137 increases penalties for threatening schools by adding a new offense: terrorizing or menacing school property, events, or firearm-free zones. It mandates 5-15 years in prison (no parole) for adults and fines up to $15,000 for such threats. Schools must distribute age-appropriate information about these crimes to students in grades 6+ and their parents annually. Parents or guardians of minors committing these acts face civil fines ($5,000-$10,000), and juvenile courts must consider restitution for response costs.
HB 158 modifies Louisiana's probation rules to address "technical violations" (like missing check-ins or failing drug tests) for certain defendants. It allows judges to impose up to 180 days in jail without reducing the overall probation sentence for individuals on probation for non-violent offenses (excluding crimes of violence or sex offenses). This applies only to violations not involving new criminal conduct, not to serious breaches. The bill does not change sentencing for new crimes but adds a specific penalty for administrative probation breaches. The measure is currently pending in committee review.
HB 140 modifies Louisiana's juvenile delinquency court timelines to ensure timely proceedings. It sets strict deadlines: if a juvenile is held in custody for a violent crime, the court must hold the hearing within 60 days; for non-violent crimes, it’s 30 days; and if not in custody, the hearing must occur within 90 days. The bill adds provisions interrupting these timelines (e.g., if a juvenile flees or is deemed mentally unfit) and suspending them during pretrial motions, requiring courts to restart the clock once interruptions end. If deadlines pass without justification, the case must be dismissed upon a juvenile’s written motion. This directly affects juveniles in delinquency cases, courts, prosecutors, and defense attorneys by streamlining procedural timelines.
This Louisiana bill creates a specific offense for battery against school teachers, defined as battery committed when the perpetrator knows the victim is a teacher or targets them due to their job. It sets harsher penalties for non-student offenders (up to 5 years in jail or $5,000 fine) versus students (up to 1.5 years jail with 72 hours mandatory for minor cases, or up to 1 year for injuries requiring medical care). Juvenile offenders under 17 are handled under the Children's Code, requiring court-approved counseling (costs borne by the family) and secure detention for teens 14+ who commit this crime. The law applies to all school teachers during work duties and modifies juvenile court procedures for such offenses.
