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 469 establishes a $100 annual optional "pharmacy education support fee" for pharmacists and pharmacies renewing licenses or permits in Louisiana. Pharmacists and pharmacies can choose whether to pay the fee or select a specific public university pharmacy school (like Xavier University) to receive it, with the option to opt out entirely. Funds collected must supplement, not replace, existing university funding for pharmacy education programs. The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy will distribute payments to chosen schools by April 1 each year, ensuring the money directly supports pharmacy education initiatives at public universities.
HB 269 creates Louisiana's Free School Breakfast Program, requiring the state Department of Education to administer it and provide free breakfasts to all students in participating public schools starting in the 2026-2027 school year. School districts must participate in the federal School Breakfast Program and use the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to maximize funding, ensuring all students receive breakfast at no cost daily. The program funds breakfasts through reimbursement based on the difference between federal USDA payments and the annual free-rate set by the USDA. It directly affects Louisiana public school students in districts meeting federal eligibility criteria and requires school districts to adopt CEP to qualify for state funding. Implementation depends on legislative appropriation of funds.
HB 196 amends Louisiana law (R.S. 17:1208) to establish that public school teachers (excluding those with annual leave) may use up to eight personal leave days per school year without pay loss. Teachers must provide 24 hours' notice to their principal, and this leave is deducted from their current year's sick leave balance. The bill specifies that personal leave cannot be carried over to future years or paid out upon retirement or death. It directly affects Louisiana public school teachers by clarifying their personal leave entitlements and integration with existing sick leave policies.
SB 37 establishes a statewide lead poisoning prevention program within Louisiana's Department of Health. It requires lead testing in early learning centers and schools (with prekindergarten programs or elementary grades) built before 1978 to obtain occupancy approval, and mandates healthcare providers to report confirmed lead poisoning cases. The program also sets protocols for detecting lead sources (prioritizing areas with recent cases and children under six) and requires abatement of lead hazards when contamination is found. These changes directly affect schools, healthcare providers, and the Department of Health, focusing on prevention, testing, and treatment for children under six.
HB 827 creates the Louisiana Plumbing Workforce Access Act, establishing a new pathway for obtaining plumbing licensure through community colleges and vocational schools instead of requiring employer sponsorship. It directly affects aspiring plumbers, particularly those from low-income communities, rural areas, and returning citizens (formerly incarcerated individuals), by providing structured classroom training, competency assessments, and supervised work experience (industry rotation) at participating employers. Key provisions include mandatory curriculum standards covering plumbing codes and safety, independent competency checkpoints to verify skills, and a requirement for students to complete 2,000 hours of hands-on work across multiple employers. The bill maintains existing exam standards and licensing requirements while expanding access to the profession to address a statewide shortage of licensed plumbers.
SB 394 modifies Louisiana's LA GATOR Scholarship Program to allow parents of full-time students enrolled in BESE-approved nonpublic schools to voluntarily sign a limited privacy waiver. This waiver permits the state to share specific student information (like name, birth date, and enrollment status) with the scholarship program manager and school, enabling faster tuition payments to avoid disruptions in student attendance or reserved spots. The waiver is strictly limited in scope - only for tuition payment processing - and does not override all privacy rights; parents can revoke consent in writing at any time. The bill also mandates data security safeguards for protected information and requires a clear, standardized consent form explaining what data is shared and why.
HB 316 requires Louisiana teacher education programs to include specific literacy training for educators preparing to teach students in kindergarten through third grade and for secondary teachers working with grades 4-8. It mandates that programs cover foundational literacy skills (like phonemic awareness and dyslexia support) and adolescent literacy strategies (including science-of-reading approaches for content-area learning). The bill also requires public schools to annually review student literacy plans for grades 4-8 and consolidate related improvement plans into single documents. These changes directly affect teacher training institutions, public schools, and students in grades 4-8 by establishing new standards for literacy instruction and intervention planning.
HB 352 requires Louisiana public school districts to create and publish policies enabling behavioral health services for students during school hours. It allows services in classrooms during instructional time (including core subjects) if parents provide a provider-approved evaluation and treatment plan showing medical necessity, with in-person supervision by certified behavior analysts required. The bill defines key terms like "medically necessary services" and mandates that schools collaborate with providers to schedule services without disrupting school operations or testing. It directly affects public school students needing behavioral health support, their parents, school administrators, and behavioral health providers.
HB 312 allocates $144 million in supplemental funding from the 2024-2025 state budget surplus to pay down existing pension obligations for Louisiana's state retirement systems. It directly affects retirees covered by the Louisiana School Employees' Retirement System, Louisiana State Police Retirement System, Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System, and Teachers' Retirement System. The bill uses specific dollar amounts ($4.8M, $1.8M, $60M, and $77.7M respectively) to cover unpaid pension liabilities for Fiscal Year 2025-2026, drawing solely from the state's surplus funds without new taxes or fees. This is a routine budget adjustment to fulfill existing financial commitments, not a new policy change.
