Education

This bill amends Louisiana statutes to create legal protections for parent-driven learning microschools and public school learning pods. It allows parents to group their children together for personalized education in private homes or other buildings without triggering zoning changes or additional fire safety regulations. The legislation also exempts these microschools from standard licensure requirements and clarifies that they cannot be forced to register with government agencies. Additionally, the bill expands the definition of public school learning pods to include small group instruction settings and directs the state law institute to update related terminology.

HB 351 repeals two specific provisions related to Louisiana's reentry preparation program for formerly incarcerated individuals. It removes a requirement (R.S. 15:827.1(E)) about reentry programs and eliminates an entrepreneurial educational curriculum component within that program. This bill directly affects inmates participating in Louisiana's reentry programs by removing these specific policy requirements from state law. The change is procedural, with no new requirements or funding added.

This bill amends Louisiana laws governing prekindergarten programs by removing the requirement that nonpublic prekindergarten programs be licensed as early learning centers, while applying child safety and welfare standards to all school-based prekindergarten programs. The legislation allows the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to approve nonpublic prekindergarten programs and authorizes the board to adopt emergency rules when necessary. Key provisions include revised child-to-staff ratios that vary by age group and a phased implementation schedule, with stricter ratios taking effect starting in the 2027-2028 school year. The bill also clarifies definitions for "camp" and "early learning center" to distinguish between standalone programs and those attached to schools.

This resolution expresses support for federal efforts to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and asks Congress to cooperate with those efforts. It directly affects the Louisiana Legislature by formally recording its position on a federal policy change. The bill cites the Tenth Amendment to argue that education powers should remain with states rather than the federal government. It does not create new laws or change state education policy, but rather sends a message to the federal government about Louisiana's stance on the issue.

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.