Healthcare

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 1, 2026

HB 1155: HEALTH CARE/PROVIDERS: Provides for the use of nitrous oxide by physicians during medical procedures

This bill allows licensed physicians in Louisiana to use nitrous oxide as pain relief during minor office surgeries and similar procedures. It requires the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners to create specific safety guidelines for this practice while explicitly prohibiting the board from banning its use in these settings. The legislation directly affects doctors who may now have an additional tool for managing patient pain in outpatient settings, provided they follow the board's rules.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands physicians' ability to manage patient pain, improving access to pain relief tools and enhancing patient care options.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

passed both · Louisiana · Senate Jun 1, 2026

SCR 37: HEALTH CARE: Requests the surgeon general to develop a plan relative to informed consent.

This bill directs the state surgeon general to create a plan for updating Louisiana's informed consent procedures in medical and surgical settings. It specifically aims to address the lack of a current mechanism to review these procedures since the Medical Disclosure Panel last met in 2018. The legislation removes references to vaccinations from the scope and asks the surgeon general to include recommendations for improving the informed consent process.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill strengthens patient rights by updating informed consent procedures, a core component of ethical healthcare delivery.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

Track

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 1, 2026

HB 89: DISTRICT ATTORNEYS: Provides relative to certain retirees of the office of the district attorney of the 3rd Judicial District (EN INCREASE LF EX See Note)

HB 89 ensures that retired district attorneys and assistant district attorneys in Louisiana's Third Judicial District with at least 24 years of full-time service receive full coverage for their health insurance premiums. The district attorney's office will pay 100% of the premium - either the retiree's current plan or the equivalent amount paid by a current employee - regardless of age. Once retirees become Medicare-eligible, the office continues covering their supplemental plan premiums to maintain comparable coverage. This applies only to retirees who retire after the bill's effective date.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill provides full health insurance premium coverage for retired district attorneys, expanding their health benefits and funding coverage through the district office.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Louisiana · Senate Jun 1, 2026

SB 145: HEALTH SERVICES: Provides relative to adult residential care providers. (gov sig)

SB 145 requires all licensed adult residential care facilities in Louisiana to install and maintain a backup generator or approved alternative power source. This system must provide continuous electricity for critical functions during outages, including life safety systems, medical equipment, water/sanitation systems, medication storage, and specific HVAC requirements (50% for pre-2026 facilities, 90% for post-2026 facilities). Facilities must have fuel for 72 hours of continuous operation, with fuel delivery agreements extending to 168 hours, and must submit annual emergency plans if granted a waiver for space constraints. The law applies directly to all licensed adult residential care providers in Louisiana, with compliance required by December 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires backup power for medical equipment, life safety, and medication storage in care facilities, ensuring continuity of healthcare services during outages.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Louisiana · House Jun 1, 2026

HB 626: COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES: Provides relative to suicide prevention plans at colleges and universities

HB 626 requires Louisiana's public colleges and universities to post suicide hotline numbers (including 988) on their websites and on student ID cards. It mandates that institutions provide all new students with information about mental health services and suicide warning signs through interactive formats (like online modules), and ensure 24/7 access to trained mental health professionals via campus or remote support. The bill also requires institutions to collect and report anonymous, aggregated data on suicide risk assessments - including demographics and referrals - to mental health services. These provisions directly affect all public postsecondary institutions in Louisiana, aiming to improve student mental health resources and data tracking.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires suicide hotlines, mental health resources, and 24/7 access on campuses, directly expanding student access to mental health services per bill requirements.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 470: HEALTH CARE: Provides relative to pregnant women in custody. (gov sig) (EN INCREASE LF EX See Note)

This bill modifies an existing law regarding pregnant women in custody to clarify that funding for their care can come from nonprofit organizations or federal grants. The change is a minor amendment that adds specific sources of financial support to the current legal framework. It directly affects state agencies responsible for managing the healthcare of incarcerated pregnant women. The legislation does not alter the core requirement for providing care but expands the list of permissible funding origins.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill expands permissible funding sources for essential healthcare services, strengthening financial support for a critical public program.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands funding sources for healthcare of incarcerated pregnant women by allowing nonprofit and federal grants.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 451: HEALTH CARE: Provides relative to newborn hearing screening. (8/1/26) (EN SEE FISC NOTE See Note)

This bill updates Louisiana's newborn hearing screening laws to modernize terminology and strengthen protections for infants with hearing loss. It establishes a formal Bill of Rights for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, ensuring they have access to adult role models and meaningful involvement in programs affecting their education. The legislation creates or updates an advisory council to oversee screening procedures, define hearing loss categories, and guide early intervention services. By clarifying definitions and expanding the legal framework, the bill aims to improve early detection and support for infants at risk of hearing disabilities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill strengthens newborn hearing screening laws, establishes rights for deaf children, and creates advisory council to improve early intervention services.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 437: HEALTH DEPARTMENT: Provides relative to treatment services provided at facilities providing housing or temporary residence for individuals referred by judicial agencies. (8/1/26) (EN NO IMPACT See Note)

This bill requires facilities that provide housing or temporary residence for individuals referred by judicial agencies to obtain a license from the Louisiana Department of Health before offering residential substance use disorder treatment. The law mandates that the Department of Health must inspect and certify these facilities as compliant with specific rules before they can provide such services to people referred by courts or other judicial bodies. Additionally, the bill establishes a process for filing complaints against unlicensed residential treatment facilities and clarifies that licensed medical professionals can still offer behavioral health services in a person's home. These changes aim to ensure that judicially referred individuals receive treatment only from facilities that meet state health and safety standards.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill improves rehabilitation programs by requiring licensed treatment facilities for judicial referrals, enhancing oversight and care for individuals in the criminal justice system.75% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates licensing and inspection for substance use disorder treatment facilities, improving quality control and patient safety in healthcare services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 409: EMPLOYMENT: Provides protections for employees who become living organ donors. (8/1/26) (EN INCREASE GF EX See Note)

This bill, SB 409, aims to protect employees who donate organs by preventing employers from discriminating against them or retaliating after the donation. It directly affects workers who become living organ donors and their employers. The legislation establishes specific protections to ensure these employees do not face adverse employment actions related to their donation. By amending the bill text, it clarifies the structure of these protections within the existing labor framework. The measure focuses on creating a clear legal safeguard for organ donors in the workplace without predicting specific outcomes.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill protects employees who donate organs from employer discrimination, supporting patient rights and encouraging organ donation within healthcare context.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill protects employees who donate organs from employer discrimination and retaliation, strengthening worker rights and employment protections.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · Louisiana · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 45: HEALTH SERVICES: Provides relative to hospice care. (gov sig) (EN SEE FISC NOTE GF EX See Note)

This bill exempts certain nonprofit hospices providing free end-of-life care from standard hospice licensure requirements. It directly affects nonprofit organizations that offer no-cost, home-like care to terminally ill patients, provided they meet three criteria: charging no fees to patients/families, receiving no insurance payments (including Medicare/Medicaid), and limiting accommodations to three private bedrooms. The bill treats these exempt organizations as the patient’s residence for care purposes, requiring medications to be handled like home care, and allows designated caregivers (even without licenses) to perform tasks under a hospice provider’s plan. These changes aim to expand access to low-cost hospice options while clarifying care delivery standards.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExempts nonprofit hospices from licensure requirements, enabling free end-of-life care access without insurance billing or fees.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare