HB 383 establishes and manages special "ancillary funds" (like internal service or enterprise funds) for Louisiana state agencies to cover operational costs of services they provide to other state departments, such as IT support or employee benefits. It appropriates $2.17 billion for Fiscal Year 2026-2027, primarily funded by fees and self-generated revenues (e.g., $2.17B for the Office of Group Benefits covering state employee health insurance). Agencies must return unspent funds by August 14, 2027, if not renewed, and larger agencies must implement internal audit oversight. This bill directly affects state agencies managing internal services, not the public, by standardizing how they finance and account for these operational costs.
This bill allows the Louisiana Commissioner of Administration to sell surplus movable state property through public auctions. It requires the commissioner to hire qualified auctioneers via competitive bidding, with the contract lasting one year and requiring annual renewal. When both in-state and out-of-state auctioneers bid, the law gives preference to in-state professionals if their services are equal in quality and cost no more than 10% higher than out-of-state options. The changes apply to any state board, commission, agency, or department disposing of surplus movable items.
HB 776 updates Louisiana's Port Construction and Development Priority Program. It requires port authorities to provide local matching funds (10% for standard projects, 20% for large, 30% for very large) before state funds from the Transportation Trust Fund can be used. The bill also modifies how the department contracts with entities like LSU's Ports Institute for project evaluation and mandates quarterly public hearings for project prioritization. Projects not funded in one year retain their priority and carry forward to the next fiscal year, with the legislature prohibited from adding new projects to the approved list.
HB 324 sets specific salary increases for Louisiana judges starting July 1, 2026, directly affecting justices of the Supreme Court, appellate and district court judges, and city/parish court judges. It provides immediate raises of $12,129 for Supreme Court justices, $11,431 for appellate judges, and $10,723 for district judges, with city/parish court increases matching district court percentages. Future increases of 2.7% in 2027 and 2.1% in 2028 are contingent on annual approval by the Louisiana Supreme Court and Judicial Budgetary Control Board, pending sufficient funding. The 2026 adjustments are funded by judiciary reserves, while future increases may be suspended if funding is insufficient.
This bill establishes a framework for Louisiana to manage its state capital improvement projects through a five-year bond program. It repeals outdated bond authorizations that cannot be used due to inflation or impracticality while authorizing new bonds for essential projects. The State Bond Commission will issue general obligation bonds to fund capital improvements, with some projects requiring dedicated revenue streams like student fees to cover debt payments. This legislation creates a systematic process for updating bond authorizations annually to ensure only feasible and necessary projects receive funding.
HB 549 creates the Bayou Growth Opportunity Workforce Program to provide grants to eligible Louisiana employers for workforce training. The program uses a state fund to award up to $2,000 per qualified employee for training lasting no more than six months that results in industry-recognized, transferable credentials. Funds cover classroom and on-the-job training costs but cannot be used for equipment, licensing, or basic skills training. Employers must be physically located in Louisiana, comply with state tax laws, and partner with approved training providers like community colleges or apprenticeship centers.
HB 807 establishes a special fund within Louisiana's state treasury to support the Community and Technical College System's workforce training programs. It directly affects community colleges and private-sector employers in high-demand industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and information technology by providing funding to hire more instructors and expand training capacity. Key provisions include using the fund for rapid-response instructor deployment, recruitment incentives, temporary instructors, and salary supplements - while prohibiting these funds from replacing existing state higher education funding. The program requires annual reporting to legislative committees on fund usage, supported industries, and credentials awarded.
This Louisiana state resolution asks the U.S. Congress to create a federal tax-advantaged savings account program for disaster-related expenses. The proposed federal legislation would allow individuals to open special accounts where contributions are tax-deductible, with funds that can be withdrawn tax-free only to pay for qualified costs like insurance deductibles and uninsured losses from floods, hurricanes, or windstorms. Similar programs already exist in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina, where taxpayers are limited to one account per person. If the federal government adopts this idea, it would function similarly to existing health savings accounts but specifically for weather-related emergencies.
HB 145 creates a new program to cover uncovered medical and dental expenses for full-time firemen and law enforcement officers (including sheriffs, state police, municipal police, and university police) injured while performing job duties. It requires the Law Enforcement Officers and Firemen's Survivor Benefit Review Board to review claims within 60 days and authorizes the state risk director to pay up to $50,000 per injury for expenses not covered by workers' compensation or employer health insurance. The bill excludes coverage for injuries caused by intentional misconduct, intoxication, or gross negligence. This program applies to injuries occurring on or after January 1, 2023, with the law taking effect July 1, 2026.
This bill amends state laws to update the funding and administration of the Back on Track Youth Pilot Program for at-risk juveniles. It mandates that fifteen percent of annual savings from criminal justice reforms be directed to the program. The Office of Juvenile Justice within the Department of Public Safety and Corrections is designated as the intermediary to manage the funds. Administration of the program will involve a partnership between this office, other state departments, and selected nonprofit groups.
