HB 506 creates special license plates for specific Louisiana high schools (including Lafayette High, Carencro High, and others) and establishes a new "blackout" plate design. The blackout plate requires 1,000 applicants, features a black background with a blue line symbolizing fallen officers, and charges a $25 annual fee (with $24 going to the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police charity). Louisiana drivers can apply for these plates like standard licenses, with fees covering administrative costs and funding police-related charities. The bill standardizes design rules, fees, and distribution for all special plates.
HB 338 re-creates 16 regulatory boards (including the Louisiana Real Estate Commission and Cosmetology Board) that were previously transferred to the governor's office, effective June 30, 2026. These agencies will automatically terminate on July 1, 2033, unless renewed under existing law before that date. The bill amends Louisiana's sunset law to set this specific termination date for these entities, replacing prior sunset provisions. It directly affects the operations of these boards, which regulate professions like real estate, cosmetology, and motor vehicles. The law ensures these agencies continue functioning until 2033 without requiring annual legislative approval.
HB 413 prohibits Louisiana auto insurers from using rating factors in their rate filings that are based solely on losses from natural disasters or catastrophes affecting other insurance lines (like property insurance). This directly affects auto insurance customers and insurers in Louisiana by preventing rate increases tied to events like hurricanes that only impacted other policies. The bill allows insurers to use such factors only in multi-line policies covering both auto and other insurance types. The law takes effect on January 1, 2027.
HB 725 requires restaurants and other seafood retailers in Louisiana to keep purchase invoices from seafood vendors for six months. This affects all businesses buying seafood for sale, mandating they maintain these records and make them available for inspection by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture. The bill prohibits creating or submitting false records and allows the department to impose civil penalties for violations. It aims to improve traceability and accountability in the seafood supply chain without specifying additional consumer or environmental protections.
HB 268 requires Louisiana public schools to provide career exposure activities for students in grades 6-8, mandating at least six activities annually per grade level. Three of these activities must align with high-demand Louisiana jobs (via Louisiana Works), involve employer interaction, link to career pathways, or offer work-based learning. It also requires schools to provide at least one career awareness activity for K-5 students before fifth grade and document at least one activity per student in their Individualized Graduation Plan. School boards must annually certify compliance to the state Department of Education and maintain records of these activities.
This bill protects healthcare providers and individuals from civil and criminal liability when they distribute or use Naloxone and other opioid reversal drugs even after their labeled expiration dates have passed. It allows people acting in good faith to administer these medications to someone believed to be having an opioid overdose without fear of legal consequences, except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. Healthcare professionals are also shielded from disciplinary action by licensing boards for actions covered under this immunity, though federally certified facilities must still follow federal rules regarding expired medications. The law defines "shelf-life end date" based on federal labeling requirements and takes effect upon the governor's signature.
HB 551 allows Louisiana registrars of voters to hire trained commissioners to assist during early voting, specifically for the nursing home voting program. Commissioners must take an oath, complete a confidentiality form (including partial SSN), and follow strict rules to protect voter information. They will be paid $150 per day for their work, in addition to any other applicable compensation. This bill directly affects registrars, nursing home voters, and the commissioners themselves by standardizing their roles in early voting operations.
HB 379 amends Louisiana's election code to allow 17-year-olds enrolled in 11th grade (or equivalent) at Louisiana public, approved private, or home study programs to serve as election commissioners under specific conditions. The bill expands eligibility by permitting individuals who are not yet 18 but are in 11th/12th grade, have a high school diploma or GED, or are completing an approved home study program to serve. It directly affects local election administration by broadening the pool of eligible commissioners in precincts where such youth could register to vote. The change modifies qualifications under R.S. 18:425(B)(5) without altering voting rights or election procedures.
HB 801 creates a "Classic Black" specialty license plate for Louisiana motor vehicles, available to any Louisiana resident who applies for it. The plate features a black background with white numbers and "LOUISIANA" at the top, and requires a $25 annual fee (plus $3.50 handling) on top of standard license taxes. All fees collected will fund emergency vehicle operations training for local governments at the Donald J. Thibodeaux Training Center in Holden. The plate is restricted to passenger cars, pickup trucks, RVs, motorcycles, and vans, but requires at least 1,000 applicants before issuance.
HB 360 designates a specific segment of Louisiana Highway 41 in Pearl River (from Lock 1 Road to LA 36) as the "Sgt. Michael J. Guillory Memorial Highway." The bill requires the Department of Transportation to install and maintain signage for this designation, provided local or private funds cover the costs (up to $750 per sign). This is a commemorative measure with no substantive policy changes, directly affecting only the named highway segment and its signage. The bill focuses solely on honoring Sgt. Michael J. Guillory through a permanent road designation.
SB 1 requires all public bodies in Louisiana to conduct votes during open meetings using either a voice vote (viva voce) or electronic voting systems that display and record each member's individual vote. This directly affects city councils, school boards, and other local government bodies that hold public meetings under Louisiana's Open Meetings Law. The bill explicitly states that electronic voting machines meeting this recording standard satisfy the law's requirement for a public, recorded vote. The law applies retroactively to all previous meetings where votes were taken without such recording.
SB 13 modifies how Louisiana's Teachers' Retirement System calculates employer contributions and handles investment returns. It changes the method for applying excess investment returns to reduce the system's debt, specifically requiring reamortization (resetting payment schedules) when the system reaches 80% funding or every five years starting in 2019. This affects the state's payments into the retirement fund and directly impacts public school teachers' retirement benefits. The bill repeals outdated calculation rules and clarifies how future contributions will be applied to the system's debt.
