Budget & Taxes

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 9, 2026

HB 324: JUDGES: Provides relative to judicial salaries (EN +$6,690,757 GF EX See Note)

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesFunds judicial salary increases through state budget appropriations, directly increasing government spending on public sector compensation.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 8, 2026

HB 3: CAPITAL OUTLAY: Provides for the Omnibus Bond Act

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 It repeals outdated bond authorizations that cannot be used due to inflation or impracticality while authorizing new bonds for essential projects.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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes bond framework to fund essential capital improvements and manages state fiscal resources through structured debt financing for public projects.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill authorizes bonds for capital improvements including potential student fee-funded projects, which can support school infrastructure and educational facilities.75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 8, 2026

HB 386: SCHOOLS/CHARTER: Provides relative to charter school funding (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

HB 386 clarifies funding rules for Louisiana charter schools by requiring that Type 1, 3, 3B (non-LEA), and Type 4 charter schools receive per-pupil funding based on the state's minimum foundation program, adjusted for student needs. The bill allows these schools to operate as their own local education agency (LEA) for funding purposes with local school board approval, while Type 2 and 5 charter schools are automatically treated as the LEA. It also authorizes the state to withhold 0.25% of certain fees from charter schools to cover administrative costs for financial oversight. This affects all Louisiana charter schools receiving state funding and standardizes their financial relationship with local districts.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesClarifies per-pupil funding rules for charter schools, ensuring state budget allocation aligns with foundation program requirements, supporting equitable education funding distribution.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationClarifies and mandates per-pupil funding for charter schools based on state foundation program, ensuring equitable financial support for public education access and operations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 8, 2026

HB 398: PUBLIC OFFLS/EMPS: Prohibits payment for meals and incidental expenses for state public officials and employees from exceeding amounts for such expenses established by the U.S. General Services Administration

HB 398 sets a federal benchmark for state travel expenses by requiring all Louisiana state agencies (judicial, legislative, and executive branches) to reimburse employees for lodging, meals, and incidental costs at rates not exceeding those established by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). It directly affects state officials and employees traveling on official business, capping reimbursements at federal GSA rates unless specific conference lodging is proven cheaper than commuting. Exceptions allow full reimbursement for reserved conference lodging if documented cost savings exist. The rule takes effect July 1, 2026, applying to expenses incurred on or after that date.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCapping state travel reimbursements at federal GSA rates promotes fiscal responsibility by controlling government spending on employee travel expenses.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 3, 2026

HB 145: FUNDS/FUNDING: Provides for the payment of extraordinary medical and dental expenses of firemen and law enforcement officers (EN +$25,000 GF EX See Note)

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates new state-funded program for first responders' uncovered medical expenses, authorizing $50k per injury from state budget, directly funding essential personnel coverage.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides supplemental medical coverage for on-duty injuries, expanding benefits beyond standard workers' comp for firemen and law enforcement officers.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 2, 2026

HB 1039: TAX/SALES-USE, LOCAL: Provides for local sales and use tax audit procedures (EN SEE FISC NOTE LF RV See Note)

This bill updates Louisiana's local sales and use tax audit procedures to increase transparency and fairness for taxpayers. It requires tax collectors to randomly select businesses for audits rather than targeting specific ones without cause, unless there is documented evidence of tax violations. The law also mandates that collectors get approval from their governing board before starting any audit and must provide advance notice to taxpayers. Additionally, the bill prohibits collectors from forcing taxpayers to sign time-limit waivers as a condition of closing an audit and clarifies rules about interest and penalties on unpaid taxes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill promotes fiscal responsibility by increasing transparency and fairness in tax audits, preventing arbitrary targeting of businesses and requiring documented evidence for audits.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 2, 2026

HB 181: MEDICAID: Provides for Medicaid fraud detection and prevention (EN SEE FISC NOTE SG EX See Note)

HB 181 authorizes the Louisiana Department of Revenue to share state income tax return data with the legislative auditor exclusively to improve Medicaid program integrity. It specifically permits this data sharing to verify Medicaid eligibility accuracy, detect fraud, and comply with existing Medicaid fraud laws. The bill restricts the use of this data to these three purposes only and requires formal agreements between agencies for data sharing. This affects Medicaid program participants and administrators by enabling targeted fraud prevention through cross-agency data access.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesUses tax data to prevent Medicaid fraud, promoting fiscal responsibility and protecting public funds from waste, aligning with budget integrity.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill strengthens Medicaid program integrity by enabling fraud detection and prevention, protecting program funds and ensuring proper healthcare access for beneficiaries.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

passed both · Louisiana · House Jun 2, 2026

HCR 3: HOSPITALS: Provides for a hospital stabilization formula (EN +$659,764,552 SD RV See Note)

HCR 3 establishes a quarterly assessment on Louisiana hospitals to stabilize funding without using state general funds. It requires hospitals to pay a percentage of their inpatient and outpatient revenue (ranging from 1.38% to 6.74%, with exemptions for rural hospitals and small facilities under 40 beds). The collected funds support Medicaid reimbursement enhancements for hospitals, ensuring payments meet or exceed 2026 rates while aligning with federal CMS guidelines. This directly affects most acute care hospitals in Louisiana, excluding rural and small facilities, and aims to preserve hospital services for all residents.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill imposes hospital assessments (1.38%-6.74%) to fund Medicaid reimbursement enhancements without using state general funds, directly advancing budget allocation for essential healthcare services.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates a funding mechanism to enhance Medicaid hospital reimbursements, ensuring payments meet or exceed 2026 rates. This directly supports hospital financial stability and continuity of care for Medicaid patients.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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signed · Louisiana · Senate Jun 2, 2026

SB 300: PROCUREMENT CODE: Provides relative to the Louisiana procurement code. (gov sig) (EN -$25,000 SG EX See Note)

SB 300 updates Louisiana's procurement code specifically for information technology (IT) systems, services, and related contracts. It establishes new definitions (like "Invitation to negotiate" for IT procurement) and sets rules for rental contracts (max 12-month renewals without bidding, price limits), multiyear IT contracts (requiring written approval for over 3 years), and master agreements (needing procurement team review). The bill directly affects state agencies and IT vendors by clarifying how IT procurement must be conducted, including requiring procurement support team reviews for certain contracts. It does not change overall procurement law but specifies IT procurement procedures to supersede conflicting statutes for IT-related purchases.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEstablishes IT procurement rules requiring competitive bidding and written approval for long-term contracts, promoting fiscal responsibility by preventing excessive spending.80% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

introduced · Louisiana · Senate Jun 1, 2026

SR 207: TEACHERS: Expresses support for the governor's efforts to identify and implement any means authorized by law to fund a stipend for classroom teachers and support staff for the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year.

This Senate resolution expresses support for the governor's plan to find legal ways to pay a stipend to classroom teachers and support staff for the 2026-2027 school year. The bill acknowledges that the upcoming state budget does not currently renew this payment and encourages state officials to explore funding options, such as shifting money from non-instructional programs. It specifically directs that if funds are moved from the minimum foundation program to cover these salaries, the reduction should only apply to money designated for non-teaching activities. As a formal statement of support rather than a new law, the resolution does not create new rules but instead signals the Senate's backing for the administration's efforts to solve an immediate funding gap.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill explicitly supports funding teacher stipends and encourages exploring funding options to increase public service salaries.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly supports funding teacher stipends and encourages exploring funding options to pay staff.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly supports funding teacher stipends, expanding wages and benefits for educators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Budget & Taxes

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