Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn

Maddy summaryHB 440, as amended, addresses insurance claims and the recovery process for claimants. The bill establishes new proceedings that specifically consider a claimant's failure to use their personal health insurance to mitigate damages. It also removes certain provisions related to subrogation concerning insurance payments. This legislation directly impacts individuals making insurance claims and the insurance companies involved in those claims.

Maddy summaryHB 34 revises how medical expenses are handled in civil lawsuits, impacting claimants seeking recovery for medical costs and parties involved in trials. It limits the recovery of medical expenses to amounts considered reasonable for the claim. The bill allows any party to introduce evidence of both the billed and paid amounts for medical services. Furthermore, agreements between healthcare providers and third parties, such as letters of protection with attorneys, will be admissible as evidence to ensure transparency.

Maddy summaryHR 20 is a resolution that expresses the condolences of the House of Representatives upon the death of Steven "Steve" Joseph Miguez. It acknowledges his life, business career, competitive shooting achievements, and family.

Maddy summaryHB 380 removes Louisiana's legal authority for companies to use eminent domain (government power to take private property) for carbon dioxide (CO2) storage projects and related pipelines. It repeals specific laws (R.S. 19:2(11) and R.S. 30:1108) that previously allowed entities to acquire land for CO2 sequestration or transportation by forcing negotiations with landowners. This directly affects landowners whose property might have been targeted for such projects and companies seeking to build CO2 storage infrastructure. The bill changes future land acquisition requirements, requiring private negotiations instead of government-backed takings for CO2 storage. It does not impact existing projects but alters how new projects can secure land.

Maddy summaryHB 553 prohibits the use of eminent domain (government power to take private property) or unitization orders (forcing landowner participation) for pipelines transporting carbon dioxide. It directly affects landowners who might otherwise face forced property acquisition and pipeline companies seeking to build CO2 transport infrastructure. The bill amends Louisiana law to explicitly state that no entity can exercise eminent domain to acquire property for constructing or operating a CO2 pipeline, and requires landowner consent for any pipeline project using unitization. This changes existing provisions that previously allowed such acquisitions under certain conditions, focusing solely on the acquisition method rather than pipeline construction.

Maddy summaryHB 537 creates a legal lien for victims affected by carbon dioxide pipeline releases within a 25-mile "kill zone" around the rupture. It allows individuals or businesses harmed by such incidents to file a notice within 365 days to claim compensation for medical costs, property damage, death, disability, or punitive damages from pipeline owners or CO2 suppliers. The lien takes priority over other claims and requires pipeline operators to hold assets in trust for victims during bankruptcy proceedings for 365 days. This bill directly affects communities near CO2 pipelines and pipeline operators, establishing a concrete mechanism for victims to seek redress.

Maddy summaryHB 4 allows Louisiana parishes (local governments) to decide whether carbon dioxide storage wells (Class VI injection wells) can operate within their boundaries. Parishes may choose this through a local council resolution or by holding a parish-wide election requiring a 15% voter petition to trigger a vote, with results binding if a majority supports or opposes the wells. If an election is held, its outcome overrides any prior parish council decision and remains in effect for five years. This bill directly affects parishes and residents by shifting permitting authority from state agencies to local communities for these specific wells.

Maddy summaryHB 552 imposes a 5-cent-per-mile-per-ton excise tax on carbon capture and storage (CCS) pipelines operating in Louisiana, directly affecting pipeline operators who must report quarterly mileage and CO2 tonnage transported. Revenue collected will be distributed quarterly to parishes based on pipeline activity within each parish, with the state treasurer allocating funds proportionally. Parishes receiving these funds must spend them exclusively on projects within three miles of the pipelines, such as infrastructure improvements, environmental restoration, or public safety enhancements related to pipeline impacts. The tax applies to all CCS pipelines in the state and becomes effective July 1, 2025.

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 42 makes a minor grammatical correction to the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System by changing two instances of the verb "is" to "are" in the text. This adjustment ensures the language agrees with the plural subject it describes, improving the clarity of the statute. The change does not alter any financial rules, benefits, or eligibility requirements for police officers or the system itself. It is a technical amendment focused solely on fixing a wording error rather than introducing new policy.