This bill creates a sales and use tax exemption for aircraft repair services in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana. It directly affects businesses that perform repairs, modifications, overhauls, or upgrades on aircraft registered outside of Louisiana. The exemption only applies when repairs are done at specific airports meeting strict infrastructure requirements, including a runway at least 10,700 feet long, 200 feet wide, and with concrete at least 17 inches thick. The changes will take effect on July 1, 2026, and apply only to local taxes levied by Calcasieu Parish authorities.
SB 75 requires local governments in Louisiana (such as parishes and municipalities) to meet cybersecurity standards to qualify for state assistance after a cyberattack. The Governor's Office of Homeland Security must create these standards and rules, which must align with national guidelines. Crucially, if a local government does not meet these standards but still receives state cybersecurity support, it must reimburse the state for those services. The bill establishes a clear financial responsibility for noncompliant local entities seeking state aid.
SB 324 modifies Louisiana's Water Sector Program, which provides grant funding for repairs and improvements to community water and sewer systems. It establishes new rules for emergency grants (e.g., funding for systems under court-appointed management), requires the Water Sector Commission to submit priorities by September 2024, and mandates the Division of Administration to create guidance for grant applications and emergency funding by October 2024. The bill adds provisions allowing minor project adjustments without commission approval and requires grant recipients to comply with rate study requirements or face future funding ineligibility. It directly affects community water systems, local governing authorities, and the Water Sector Commission in administering these grants.
HB 370 increases the assessment rate for Louisiana's Grain and Cotton Indemnity Fund from 0.04% to 0.08% on the value of regulated agricultural commodities sold to grain dealers and cotton merchants. The bill requires these dealers to pay the assessment at the first point of sale to the state commission. This directly affects grain and cotton dealers who handle regulated commodities in Louisiana, as they will pay a higher fee on each transaction. The change aims to bolster the fund, which provides financial assistance to farmers when crop losses occur due to natural disasters. The bill does not alter eligibility for fund benefits or the fund's purpose.
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.
SB 17 establishes a funding deposit account to cover cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for retirees, beneficiaries, and survivors in the Registrars of Voters Employees' Retirement System. It sets specific conditions for COLAs: up to 3% of a retiree's current benefit if the system is at least 70% funded and no COLA was granted in the previous three years, with an additional up to 2% for those aged 65 or older. These adjustments are funded from the system's investment earnings and surplus funds held in the new account, which must be used to cover COLAs when available.
SB 11 modifies the funding rules for the Louisiana State Police Retirement System to ensure stable benefits for retirees, beneficiaries, and survivors. It requires automatic increases in employer contributions (capped at 2.35%) if projected contributions decrease, effective July 1, 2024. The bill mandates these adjustments to cover benefit increases without needing new legislative action each year. Funding will come from additional employer contributions as specified in the state constitution.
SB 19 changes the name and design of a specialty license plate for Louisiana state retirees. The bill creates a new "State Employee Retired RSEA" plate, requiring at least 1,000 applicants before issuance. It adds a $25 fee for the plate, with all revenue annually sent directly to the Louisiana State Employees Retirement System to reduce the state's unfunded liability. This affects state retirees who choose to purchase the plate, with no changes to retirement benefits or eligibility.
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.
This bill expands a property tax exemption to include specific aerospace manufacturing facilities that were previously only available to other types of manufacturers. By updating the relevant state statute from Section 1703.2 to Section 1703.4, the legislation allows these aerospace companies to qualify for reduced ad valorem taxes on their real estate and equipment. The change is designed to provide financial relief to aerospace businesses by lowering their annual property tax bills, while leaving the existing rules for other manufacturing sectors unchanged.
