Rep. Rashid Young

Maddy summarySB 207 requires all public high schools to provide students with access to available vocational and technical courses. Schools may request a waiver from their local authority and the State Board if their mission doesn't align with offering such courses. The bill also prohibits charging students course fees for these classes when the school receives career development funds for them. This directly affects public high schools and their students, ensuring equitable access to career-focused education without additional costs.

Maddy summarySB 178 establishes a School Employee Bill of Rights document for all school employees in the state. It creates a formal framework outlining workplace rights and protections, directly affecting teachers, support staff, and other school personnel. The bill passed the Senate unanimously (36-1) and is now moving to the House for consideration. This is a procedural bill focused on defining employee rights through documentation, not implementing new operational policies.

Maddy summaryHB 126 modifies how Louisiana calculates state funding for parish councils on aging, increasing the minimum annual appropriation by $3.5 million to the Office of Elderly Affairs. This change directly affects local parish councils that provide services for seniors, ensuring they receive a higher guaranteed minimum funding level each year. The bill updates the funding formula to reflect this increased baseline amount, which must be included in the state budget. The policy change is a concrete financial adjustment to support aging services programs across Louisiana parishes.

Maddy summaryHB 238 creates new tax deductions for Louisiana taxpayers covering education expenses: full tuition deductions for private school (up to $6,000 per child), 50% deductions for home-schooling costs (up to $6,000 per child), and 50% deductions for certain public school expenses (up to $6,000 per child). It directly affects parents who claim children as dependents on federal tax returns and pay for qualifying education. The bill also requires child welfare agencies to annually report adoption details and foster care organization information to the tax department. All deductions are capped at $6,000 per child and tied to federal dependency claims.

Maddy summaryHR 367 is a Louisiana House resolution formally commending Thelma Alice Smith Washington Williams for her 100th birthday. It recognizes her decades of service as an educator, author, and community leader in Grambling, including her work at Grambling College, her book *Grambling, A Pictorial History*, and her mentorship of youth. The resolution extends the House's wishes for her continued prosperity without enacting any new policy or affecting laws. As a commemorative measure, it serves solely as a symbolic honor for her contributions.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HR 347) urges the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) to seek formal input and approval from state lawmakers representing a parish *before* allocating or reallocating transportation funding for projects in that area. It directly affects parishes on the DOTD's priority funding list or those receiving transportation funds, requiring DOTD to consult with their local legislative delegation (state representatives and senators) on project decisions. The key provision mandates that DOTD obtain this input prior to final funding decisions, aiming to increase local accountability and ensure projects align with community priorities. The resolution passed unanimously in the House of Representatives on June 10, 2025, but remains a non-binding request to DOTD.

Maddy summaryHCR 17 is a concurrent resolution requesting the Louisiana Housing Corporation to study how its resources are allocated for financing housing development in rural Louisiana. The study must examine current funding distribution, identify challenges like substandard housing and higher costs in rural areas, and report findings to the legislature by March 15, 2026. This procedural bill does not change funding rules but seeks data to inform future decisions on rural housing needs. It directly affects the Louisiana Housing Corporation, which must conduct and submit the study.

Maddy summaryHB 268 amends outdated legal terminology in Louisiana law regarding pornography involving juveniles, specifically correcting references from "Articles" to "Sections" in two code sections (R.S. 14:81.1 and 14:648(B)(3)(i)). The bill does not change legal definitions, penalties, or protections; it only updates how these provisions are cited in legal documents. This technical correction directly affects court records, legal filings, and law enforcement documentation referencing these specific statutes. The changes streamline legal references without altering the underlying criminal law.

Maddy summaryThis resolution requests Louisiana State University School of Health Sciences to study connections between environmental risks (like pollution or chemical exposures) and maternal health outcomes. It directs LSU to identify high-risk areas, health disparities, and monitoring gaps, with findings due to legislative committees by July 1, 2026. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but aims to fill knowledge gaps in Louisiana’s limited research on environmental impacts on pregnancy and infant health.

Maddy summaryHCR 32 is a procedural resolution that continues the Judicial Security Task Force, originally created in 2024, and extends its deadline for submitting a report on courthouse safety requirements to January 1, 2027. The task force studies minimum safety standards to protect judicial officers and their families in courthouses. This resolution does not create new laws but ensures the task force has additional time to complete its research. It directly affects Louisiana’s judicial system by enabling ongoing safety planning for courts. The resolution requires the task force to submit its final report to legislative committees and relevant judicial organizations.