HB 445 transfers Louisiana's STEM Advisory Council from the Department of Education to Louisiana Works and redefines its responsibilities. The bill requires the council to create a statewide STEM education plan, coordinate programs with workforce needs, encourage industry funding, and establish a resource clearinghouse. It creates a dedicated STEM Education Fund to support student-focused programs (including robotics competitions via FIRST) from pre-K through college, funded by legislative appropriations and private donations. The council must submit annual reports to education committees and meet quarterly, with members able to participate electronically. This bill directly affects STEM education programs, schools, and industry partners across Louisiana.
This legislative resolution asks the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to update school content standards to include artificial intelligence. The bill aims to ensure students learn about AI in a way that is safe, private, and ethical while preparing them for future work and civic life. By incorporating AI into academic instruction, the measure seeks to help Louisiana remain competitive in technology and other fields. The request is directed at the state education board, which is responsible for setting curriculum standards for public schools.
This bill updates Louisiana laws to allow clerks of court and related recorders to use electronic methods for filing, copying, and storing legal records. It authorizes these officials to purchase or lease equipment and software for converting existing paper documents into digital formats and permits them to use their salary funds to cover these costs. The legislation also establishes standards for electronic storage and allows clerks to return original documents to individuals after verifying that complete electronic copies have been made, while requiring certain permanent records like criminal files to be preserved electronically before any originals are destroyed.
SB 290 requires Louisiana's state Department of Education to obtain approval from a local public school system before changing a student's "exit code" in the state data system if it differs from the code assigned by the school. This directly affects the state education department and local school systems, as it mandates their collaboration before altering certain student data. The key provision adds a requirement to existing law, ensuring schools have a say in how their students' data is recorded in the state system. This is a procedural change to data management, not a substantive education policy shift. The bill is currently pending in the Education Committee.
HB 55 prohibits the public disclosure of jurors' personal information, such as names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, images, or likenesses, to protect juror privacy and safety. It allows courts to disclose such information only if a person demonstrates "good cause" and the court approves, while permitting courts to limit disclosures to safeguard juror identity. Violating this prohibition carries penalties of up to $1,000 fines, six months in jail, or both. The bill specifically exempts these privacy protections from Louisiana's public records laws, ensuring juror details remain confidential unless court-approved.
This bill directs the Louisiana State Law Institute to conduct a study on the use of remote online notarization for specific legal documents known as authentic acts. It asks the institute to examine which types of documents are suitable for this digital process and to recommend rules for those that are not appropriate for remote execution. The legislation does not change current laws or authorize remote notarization immediately but instead initiates a review to inform future policy decisions.
This bill establishes new rules for application stores in Louisiana to protect minors under 18 from inappropriate content and data collection. It requires app stores to verify users' ages and link accounts of anyone under 18 to a parent account that must give explicit consent before the minor can download apps, make purchases, or access certain features. Developers must provide clear information about age ratings, content descriptions, and data privacy practices before obtaining parental consent, and stores must notify users of significant changes to an app's functionality or data policies. The law also defines specific age categories and creates penalties for non-compliance while repealing a previous 2025 act on the same topic.
HB 98 strengthens protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking by creating criminal penalties for unauthorized disclosure of their confidential information. The bill prohibits individuals from intentionally releasing, disclosing, transferring, or disseminating victim-identifying details - such as abuse status, family members, or agency involvement - and imposes fines up to $2,500 or up to one year in prison for violations. It also shields community shelters from liability if staff or others unlawfully disclose such information. These provisions apply to service providers, law enforcement, and agencies handling victim cases, ensuring sensitive data remains confidential. The bill focuses on concrete policy changes to prevent re-victimization through information leaks.
SB 106 makes certain crime scene photographs, videos (including body camera footage), audio recordings, and digital images confidential under Louisiana law. It directly affects law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, coroners, and other public bodies that collect or maintain such evidence used in criminal cases. The bill prohibits these materials from being released as public records, except when a court specifically orders disclosure. This change applies to all media depicting crime scenes, evidence, or victims' bodies that may be used in criminal proceedings, regardless of who created or holds the material. The law ensures these sensitive materials remain confidential without a judicial order.
HB 547 prohibits anyone from knowingly photographing, recording, or reproducing voter registration information found in precinct registers. This law directly affects election workers, poll workers, and others who handle physical voter registration materials at polling locations. The key provision bans these specific actions to protect voter privacy, with penalties for violations outlined in the bill. It focuses on preventing unauthorized access to sensitive voter data during elections. The bill does not change voter eligibility or election procedures, only restricting how precinct registration records may be handled.
