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.
HB 821 establishes the Louisiana Center for Safe Schools within the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice. The center will administer school and nonprofit security programs, develop statewide safety frameworks (including threat assessment models), and provide training on emergency planning, facility security, and crisis response to schools and nonprofits. It will coordinate with state agencies like the Department of Education and coordinate emergency notification systems while maintaining data privacy. The bill also creates a 13-member advisory council, including education and law enforcement leaders, to review safety frameworks and recommend grant priorities.
This resolution urges public school officials and employees in Louisiana to follow existing state laws against bullying. It does not create new rules but asks schools to enforce current requirements that mandate anti-bullying policies, reporting procedures, and staff training. The document directs copies of this request to local school superintendents and charter school authorities. By emphasizing compliance with current statutes, the bill aims to ensure consistent enforcement of student safety measures already established by the legislature.
This resolution asks the state Department of Education and local school districts to submit a report by January 1, 2027, on how they are helping students with seizure disorders in schools. The report must cover how seizure action plans are being used, whether staff have completed required training, and how access to prescribed seizure rescue medications is being managed. While existing law already requires seizure training and action plans, this bill seeks to gather data on implementation to identify gaps and improve consistency across the state. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but instead requests information to help the legislature evaluate how well current policies are working.
This Louisiana concurrent resolution requests that the United States Congress classify the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree as a professional degree eligible for enhanced federal student loan borrowing limits. The measure aims to allow physical therapy students to access higher levels of federal financial aid, similar to other professional degree programs, rather than being restricted by lower undergraduate loan caps. It specifically targets students pursuing physical therapy education in Louisiana to support workforce development and address healthcare needs in the state. As a memorial resolution, this document does not change state law directly but formally asks the federal government to adjust eligibility rules for student loans.
This Louisiana bill creates a specific offense for battery against school teachers, defined as battery committed when the perpetrator knows the victim is a teacher or targets them due to their job. It sets harsher penalties for non-student offenders (up to 5 years in jail or $5,000 fine) versus students (up to 1.5 years jail with 72 hours mandatory for minor cases, or up to 1 year for injuries requiring medical care). Juvenile offenders under 17 are handled under the Children's Code, requiring court-approved counseling (costs borne by the family) and secure detention for teens 14+ who commit this crime. The law applies to all school teachers during work duties and modifies juvenile court procedures for such offenses.
HB 218 requires Louisiana public schools to screen all students in grades K-12 for food insecurity at enrollment and once per semester, plus during school health clinic visits. The bill mandates using a free, age-appropriate screening tool selected by the state Department of Education and Health, with results kept confidential except for parents/guardians or authorized school staff. Schools must refer identified students to resources like meal programs, food pantries, and public assistance. Charter schools are exempt from this requirement under Section 3996(B)(24), but the bill applies directly to public school students and their families.
SB 157 would require Louisiana public school districts to provide eligible educators with six weeks (240 hours) of paid parental leave at 100% of base pay for qualifying events like birth, adoption, foster placement, or pregnancy loss. This applies to full- or part-time school employees with at least one year of service, covering both parents who are eligible. Schools must adopt written policies, provide advance notice to employees about their rights, and prohibit counting this leave as an absence that could lead to disciplinary action. The bill does not override existing better benefits in union contracts or other laws but mandates this new standard for public school employees.
HB 818 limits the time Louisiana public school students spend on standardized tests to no more than 2% of annual instructional time starting in 2027-2028, excluding college exams, accommodations for students with disabilities, and teacher-selected classroom assessments. It requires schools and the state education department to publish annual, publicly accessible schedules of all required tests online by specific deadlines, listing details like test names, grade levels, administration dates, and time estimates. The bill mandates that these schedules exclude locally developed tests not required by federal or state law and must be updated within 10 business days of any changes. This directly affects Louisiana public school students, teachers, and school districts by standardizing test transparency and restricting testing time.
HB 749 authorizes Louisiana’s Tuition Trust Authority to hire a private program manager to administer three existing savings programs: ABLE (for people with disabilities), START (for college savings), and START K12 (for K-12 education). It allows the authority to contract with this manager for account management and investment of funds after December 31, 2026, or when the contract is signed - whichever comes later. Until that date, the state continues managing interest rates, investments, and fund transfers under current rules. The bill updates statutes to formalize this transition and requires coordination with the state treasurer and legislative leaders. This change affects how Louisiana’s education savings programs operate, shifting administrative control to a contracted provider while maintaining existing program structures.
