Rep. Rhonda Butler

Maddy summaryHB 367 modifies Louisiana's enforcement process for the Structural Pest Control Commission by requiring the commission to send alleged violators a 30-day certified mail notice before holding an adjudicatory hearing. This applies directly to businesses or individuals operating under structural pest control licenses who face potential penalties, license suspensions, or revocations. The bill does not change penalties or create new rules but standardizes the notification process for hearings under existing enforcement procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 346 renames a specific section of U.S. Highway 171 in Florien, Louisiana (from Louisiana Highway 118 to Sandra Lane) as the "Speaker Joe Salter Memorial Highway." The bill directs the Louisiana Department of Transportation to install signage for this redesignation, provided local or private funds cover the department's actual costs (up to $750 per sign). This is a procedural naming bill with no substantive policy changes affecting residents, programs, or funding. It solely honors Speaker Joe Salter through a highway designation.

Maddy summaryHB 454, the Gracey Claire Rushing Act, requires strict documentation and tracking for human remains and major organs during autopsies in Louisiana. It mandates detailed chain-of-custody reports at every handling stage - from coroner receipt to funeral home transfer - including inventories of organs placed in viscera bags. The bill requires coroners to notify families within 48 hours of any organ retention and ensures funeral homes verify organ returns before final disposition. These provisions directly affect coroners, forensic pathologists, funeral homes, and families of decedents, aiming to prevent discrepancies through standardized recordkeeping and transparency.

Maddy summarySB 244 would establish a new recreational alligator hunting season in Louisiana, separate from existing commercial hunting. It requires hunters to obtain a special alligator hunting license and recreational harvest tags issued by the Louisiana Wildlife Commission, and prohibits hunting outside designated seasons, without proper licenses/tags, or using illegal methods. The bill allows the Commission to set specific seasons, harvest quotas, residency rules, and permitted hunting hours by geographic area. Violations would be classified as a class three violation, with penalties specified in the bill. This directly affects Louisiana residents and visitors seeking to hunt alligators recreationally under new rules.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution formally commends Dr. Paul Dean Coreil on his retirement as Chancellor of Louisiana State University of Alexandria. The bill recognizes his decades of service in higher education, public service, and youth development, specifically highlighting his leadership in increasing university enrollment and expanding academic programs. Upon passage, the Legislature expresses its appreciation and transmits a copy of the resolution to Dr. Coreil.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution (HCR 4) suspends Louisiana’s rules restricting supplemental feeding and baiting for deer hunting in chronic wasting disease (CWD) control areas for 18 months. It directly affects hunters, landowners, and local businesses in CWD zones by temporarily lifting bans on baiting and feeding practices that were previously prohibited in "Enhanced Mitigation Zones" and restricted in "Buffer Zones." The suspension aims to support traditional hunting methods and reduce economic impacts on rural communities while allowing further study of CWD management. The resolution requires the state register to publish a summary of this change in the Louisiana Register.

Maddy summaryHB 31 allows Louisiana municipalities with populations under 5,000 to permanently exit the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System. To terminate participation, a city must pass a resolution, provide 30 days' written notice to the retirement system and new hires, and stop enrolling future employees. Existing police employees hired before the termination date remain covered under the system, but new hires after the effective date will not be enrolled. The termination becomes effective 60 days after the governing authority adopts the resolution.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a request from the Louisiana Legislature asking the U.S. federal government to allow the state to run a pilot program for managing temporary foreign worker visas. It specifically targets the H-2B visa program, which is used for non-agricultural seasonal jobs, to cover industries like horticulture, sugar processing, and seafood processing in Louisiana. The resolution argues that the current federal system is too slow and complex for these specific seasonal needs and that state-level administration would better align with local harvest schedules while maintaining federal labor protections. If approved, this pilot program would give Louisiana the authority to handle worker certification and placement directly, with the goal of creating a model that other states could eventually adopt.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates Tuesday, April 28, 2026, as Louisiana 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) Day at the state capitol to honor these youth organizations. It also formally recognizes and commends the specific state officers of both the Louisiana 4-H and Louisiana FFA Associations for their service during the 2025-2026 term. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves as a ceremonial acknowledgment of the groups' contributions to youth leadership and development in the state.

Maddy summaryThis bill asks the U.S. Congress to increase the number of H-2B work visas available for Fiscal Year 2027. It directly affects Louisiana employers who rely on these temporary visas for seasonal jobs in industries like crawfish processing and landscaping. The resolution requests that the federal government raise the annual limit on these visas or adjust the baseline allocation to help businesses meet their workforce needs. By doing so, the bill aims to prevent potential economic losses for local companies that currently struggle to hire enough workers due to existing caps.