Rep. Rashid Young

Maddy summaryHB 59 requires East Baton Rouge Parish and its cities to fund specific expenses for the 19th Judicial District Court's public defender office, which serves people who cannot afford legal representation. The bill mandates that local governments cover salaries for staff (including public defenders, clerks, and investigators) and operational costs like supplies, travel, and equipment. Funding responsibility is shared proportionally between the parish and individual cities, as determined by their governing authorities. This complements existing state funding and directly affects the office's ability to provide indigent defense services in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Maddy summaryHB 1253, known as the Gracey Claire Rushing Act, updates Louisiana laws to improve how coroners document and handle human remains and internal organs. The bill requires detailed autopsy reports that include specific personal information, medical findings, and a record of any retained organs, while keeping these reports private except for law enforcement or court orders. Family members and the decedent's physician are granted the right to receive a copy of the report upon request. The legislation is named in memory of a child whose death in 2009 prompted calls for better safeguards in the treatment of remains.

Maddy summaryThis bill asks the legislative auditor to review how fiscal notes are created during the legislative session. The review will compare the state's current process with similar systems used in other states to identify potential improvements. It also requires the auditor to examine the data and information used in these fiscal notes. The changes aim to enhance the evaluation of the legislative fiscal office's work without altering the underlying budgeting laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a task force to examine Louisiana's Minimum Foundation Program formula, which determines how state and local funds are distributed to public schools. The group will study ways to create a stable, permanent funding source for teacher and support staff pay raises, ensuring these increases are not dependent on temporary or one-time money. The bill directly affects school systems, educators, and taxpayers by aiming to replace uncertain, short-term funding with a predictable long-term solution. By analyzing the current complex funding structure, the task force will provide recommendations to improve clarity and sustainability for school budgets and employee compensation.

Maddy summarySB 52 requires Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to report child custody changes to the Department of Health within 72 hours when a child is placed in or returned to a parent's custody. This triggers automatic adjustments to public assistance benefits (like SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid) for the parent's household to reflect the child's new living situation. The bill ensures benefits accurately match where the child resides, preventing overpayment if a child is no longer living with a household receiving aid. It directly affects families receiving public assistance and the state agencies managing those benefits.

Maddy summaryHB 217 allows Louisiana parishes to optionally offer property tax exemptions for blighted or derelict properties that have been rehabilitated. If a parish adopts this exemption, it would provide up to 75% tax relief on residential properties for up to 20 years, or up to 25% relief on adjacent unimproved land for up to 10 years, subject to specific rehabilitation standards. Parishes must establish application processes, approval criteria, and revocation rules for property owners who hold title to qualifying rehabilitated properties. The exemption applies only to properties meeting the bill's definitions of "blighted" (court-declared public nuisance) or "derelict" (structurally unsafe, fire hazards, or dangerous conditions). The policy would take effect for tax years starting January 1, 2027, pending a constitutional amendment approval.

Maddy summarySB 399 creates the Louisiana Higher Education Research Security Council to protect the state's colleges and universities from foreign adversaries. The law requires institutions to report and restrict gifts, contracts, research partnerships, and academic collaborations with entities from countries or groups designated as foreign adversaries, while prohibiting certain travel and gifts from such sources. It defines key terms like "foreign adversary" and "foreign source," and includes penalties for violations, such as the theft of trade secrets. The bill directly affects all Louisiana institutions of higher education that grant degrees or have a physical presence in the state.

Maddy summaryThis resolution asks the Louisiana Board of Regents to study how new rules allowing colleges to pay student-athletes directly affect university sports programs. The study will examine financial costs, staffing needs, and compliance issues for schools like LSU and Tulane that have joined this new system. It also looks at how these changes might impact smaller sports, local economies, and the overall budget of public universities. The Board must submit its findings and recommendations to state lawmakers by February 15, 2027.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a formal request from the Louisiana legislature to the U.S. Congress and federal health agencies to speed up research and clinical trials for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. It does not create new laws or change funding directly but instead asks federal officials to prioritize efforts to develop better treatments for this aggressive blood cancer. The resolution also names these proposed research efforts the "Jonas A. Feeley Act" to honor a recent victim of the disease. Ultimately, the measure serves as a symbolic gesture to advocate for increased federal attention on improving survival rates for patients with this condition.

Maddy summaryHB 474 allows Louisiana taxpayers who file individual income tax returns and receive a refund to redirect all or part of that refund to the Grambling University National Alumni Association. Taxpayers would indicate this choice when filing their return, reducing their refund amount by the designated portion. The Louisiana Department of Revenue would administer and distribute the donated funds to the alumni association starting with tax years beginning January 1, 2027. This is a procedural tax form change, not a new tax or spending measure.