Rep. Neil Riser

Maddy summaryThis bill prevents beneficiaries who committed murder from receiving money from an account holder's bank accounts, such as life insurance or retirement funds. It requires financial institutions to stop payments if they receive a court order proving the beneficiary killed the account holder. Banks are protected from liability if they paid based on existing beneficiary designations before receiving a court order and certified documentation. The law directly affects beneficiaries who committed murder and sets clear procedures for banks to follow when terminating beneficiary rights.

Maddy summaryHB 5 requires Louisiana public school systems to use savings from the Teachers' Retirement System to provide permanent salary increases for teachers and other school employees starting in the 2025-2026 school year. Certificated staff, such as teachers and administrators, must receive at least a $2,000 raise, while non-certificated staff, including aides and clerical workers, must receive at least $1,000. The bill mandates that these salary increases include associated retirement costs and applies to employees on specific leaves, such as military or maternity leave, provided they remain in their approved positions. If a school district does not have enough savings to cover the full amount of these raises, the remaining cost is to be funded through the state's minimum foundation program formula. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that charter schools participating in the state retirement system must also comply with these salary increase requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 25 amends Louisiana's severance tax law to establish specific definitions for calculating the "payout of well cost" for horizontal wells. The bill requires an independent certified public accountant to issue a verified "well cost statement" that details expenses up to the start of production. This statement must follow standard accounting rules and include a certification that the accountant has no relationship with the oil or gas operator. These new definitions are intended to clarify how tax exemptions for well completion costs are determined. The legislation does not create new exemptions but rather sets the criteria for applying existing ones.

Maddy summaryHB 9 is a procedural bill that does not create new tax rules itself but instead sets a condition for when another bill will take effect. It specifies that the sales and use tax on certain services will only become operative if a separate, related bill is passed and signed into law. Because this bill relies on future legislation to activate its provisions, it does not directly affect taxpayers or businesses at this time.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Louisiana's earned income tax credit by shortening the period during which residents can receive the higher credit amount. Instead of extending through 2030, the provision allowing for the increased credit will now expire on December 31, 2024. The change applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, and reduces the state tax benefit for eligible individuals during that timeframe.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows cemetery authorities to combine two or more separate trust funds into a single fund if they all support the same cemetery. The law requires the merged fund to list the names of the original funds that were combined. This change simplifies financial management for cemetery trusts by reducing the number of individual accounts they must maintain.

Maddy summaryHB 679 is a minor amendment to the state's auctioneer licensing laws that changes a specific phrase in the text. The bill alters the requirement for auctioneers to meet certain standards by replacing the phrase "as defined in" with "as required by." This change affects the Department of Commerce and the individuals licensed as auctioneers by modifying how the law references specific rules or standards. The amendment does not create new regulations or add new duties, but rather adjusts the wording used to describe compliance requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the deadline for parishes to request a waiver of matching funds for capital outlay projects, extending the eligibility period through June 30, 2027. It directly affects parishes in Louisiana that seek financial assistance for infrastructure and construction projects without having to provide matching funds. The key provision is a simple date adjustment in the existing law, allowing these requests to be made for a longer timeframe than previously allowed. This change does not alter the requirement for a waiver itself, only the window during which a parish can apply for one.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends an existing law regarding carbon dioxide sequestration on state lands and water bottoms in Louisiana. Its primary function is to add the word "Louisiana" to several sections of the original text to ensure the legislation applies specifically to that state. The bill does not introduce new policies or funding mechanisms but rather clarifies the geographic scope of current regulations.