HB 739 amends Louisiana insurance laws to clarify definitions and procedures related to insurance fraud. It defines "business of insurance" to include sales, claims resolution, and advertising, while excluding licensed lawyers and healthcare advocates assisting patients. The bill specifies that criminal fraud investigations must be handled by law enforcement or prosecutors, not insurance fraud offices, though the office may assist with consent. It also maintains the commissioner's role in overseeing unfair trade practices affecting the insurance industry.
HB 634 authorizes the transfer of two specific parcels of state-owned land in St. Martin Parish (76 acres and 49.4 acres totaling 125.4 acres) to Brownell Land Company, LLC. The bill excludes mineral rights from the transfer and requires the state to receive payment proportional to the property’s appraised value. It directs the commissioner of administration to handle the transfer through formal agreements and documents. This bill directly affects the state’s property holdings and the Brownell Land Company, LLC, by facilitating the sale of these designated parcels.
SB 383 amends Louisiana’s Incumbent Worker Training Program to establish a new "Flexible Workforce Fund" within the existing program, allocating up to 40% of state funds for sector-based training and pilot projects addressing high-demand jobs. It clarifies eligible training types - including customized programs for businesses (including small businesses with ≤50 employees), preemployment training, and work-based learning - and sets spending limits (e.g., no more than 10% for administration). The bill directly affects Louisiana employers seeking workforce training grants and training providers delivering approved programs. Key mechanisms include mandatory fund allocation rules, employer credit provisions for program funding, and updated eligibility criteria for businesses. The changes aim to streamline funding for workforce development while ensuring revenue neutrality for the state.
HB 13 modifies how the Louisiana State Police Retirement System manages pension costs by changing amortization periods for past and future underpayments. It shortens the timeframe for spreading out payments from 30 years to 20 or 15 years under certain conditions (e.g., when the system reaches 70% funding or for specific valuation years). The bill also establishes a new "AFC rate" starting at 0% for benefit increases, with potential increases up to 2.5% if employer contributions decrease, and sets a minimum employer contribution rate starting in 2027-2028. These changes directly affect the state’s budget for the State Police Retirement System and the future retirement benefits of state police officers.
HB 18 revises the election and term structure for trustees on the District Attorneys' Retirement System board. It sets specific expiration dates for current trustees based on their assigned divisions (e.g., Division B terms end August 2027, Division A/E end August 2030), requiring new elections for five-year terms starting August 15 of the following year. The bill also establishes procedures for filling vacancies (appointments for unexpired terms under two years) and specifies that trustees receive $75 per day plus standard state employee travel allowances for meetings. This procedural bill directly affects the board members managing retirement benefits for district attorneys and their retired staff.
HB 8 requires written authorization for legislative staff to attend executive sessions of Louisiana's state or statewide retirement system boards. The authorization must name specific staff members, be submitted to the retirement system director, and remain valid for four years unless revoked. Committee chairs for the House and Senate Retirement Committees can revoke or modify these authorizations at any time with written notice. This bill directly affects legislative staff seeking to observe closed retirement board meetings, establishing clear procedures for access.
HB 19 amends Louisiana's District Attorneys' Retirement System to clarify disability retirement benefits for eligible district attorneys. It requires the State Medical Disability Board physician (designated by the retirement board) to officially certify disabilities before benefits are awarded, and sets disability benefits at the lower of two calculation methods. The bill also removes an outdated definition (R.S. 11:1581(13)) from the retirement system's rules. This directly affects district attorneys seeking disability retirement by changing the certification process and benefit calculation. The changes focus on procedural updates to the retirement system without altering benefit amounts or eligibility thresholds.
HB 15 corrects payment errors in Louisiana's Assessors' Retirement Fund. If a mistake causes a retiree to receive too little (underpayment), the fund must add interest at its valuation rate. If a retiree received too much (overpayment), the fund can recover the excess by reducing future benefits, but must notify the retiree 30 days in advance. This directly affects retirees whose benefit calculations contained administrative errors. The bill takes effect upon gubernatorial approval or legislative override of a veto.
HB 32 amends Louisiana's State Employees' Retirement System to clarify key rules for current and former state employees. It specifies that disability retirees returning to work before age 60 lose their retirement allowance temporarily but regain full service credit for eligibility (not benefit calculations), and requires restoration of prior service certificates. The bill also strengthens exemptions protecting retirement benefits from seizure (except for specific tax cases), adds procedures for correcting administrative errors, and updates benefit calculation rules - particularly for peace officers in the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Additionally, it mandates that spouse consent is required for certain annuity options, or the system defaults to a joint survivor benefit.
HB 25 amends Louisiana's Teachers' Retirement System rules to align with federal IRS requirements for benefit payments. It specifies that benefits must begin no later than April 1 following retirement or age 72.5, whichever is later, and establishes clear rules for surviving spouses (who may elect to be treated as the member) and beneficiaries like children (who may qualify under specific age/disability conditions). The bill directly affects Louisiana public school teachers, their surviving spouses, and designated beneficiaries by clarifying payment timing and eligibility under federal law. It takes effect July 1, 2027, with costs covered by employer contributions.
HB 57 amends Louisiana law governing temporary restraining orders (TROs) in abuse cases. It requires courts to give the respondent (the person accused of abuse) an opportunity to rebut and respond to any criminal history evidence considered when granting a TRO without notice. The bill also specifies that courts must provide the respondent with 24-hour notice of the TRO and the subsequent hearing, and mandates that the petitioner prove abuse allegations by a preponderance of the evidence at the hearing. This applies to all TRO proceedings where criminal history is used as evidence, directly affecting petitioners, respondents, and courts handling these cases.
HB 56 repeals specific sections of Louisiana law that imposed additional fines for driving while impaired (DWI). It directly affects drivers convicted of DWI in Louisiana by removing four designated fine amounts from the legal code. The bill's key mechanism is the complete removal of these provisions (R.S. 14:98.1(A)(4), 98.2(A)(5), 98.3(A)(4), and 98.4(A)(3)) without replacing them with new fines or penalties. This change would eliminate those specific additional fines for DWI convictions, though it does not alter the base penalties or other aspects of DWI law.
