Rep. Chance Henry

Maddy summaryHB 443 amends civil procedure related to notifications in "delictual actions," which are civil lawsuits involving harm or damage. The bill requires a plaintiff's attorney to notify the defendant in writing if the defendant has insurance that may cover a portion of the damages. This notification must be provided within twenty business days of the plaintiff's counsel being retained. This new requirement affects plaintiffs' attorneys by adding a specific notification duty and defendants by ensuring they are informed about their potential insurance coverage early in the legal process.

Maddy summaryHB 336 amends the Code of Civil Procedure to revise the rules for where lawsuits involving uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) insurance policies can be filed. It specifies that these actions should generally be brought in the parish where the wrongful conduct occurred or where the defendant is domiciled. However, if the lawsuit is solely against the UM/UIM policy, it may also be filed in the insured person's home parish. This bill directly affects individuals with UM/UIM policies, insurance companies, and defendants involved in related vehicle accidents.

Maddy summaryHB 439 proposes to establish a limit on attorney fees, directly affecting attorneys and their clients by regulating the maximum fees that can be charged for legal services. While the specific details of this limit are not provided in the available text, recent amendments removed original provisions related to penalties and an entire page of the bill.

Maddy summaryHouse Bill 430 creates the Louisiana Lawyer Advertising and Unfair Trade Practices Act, regulating advertisements for services, particularly legal services. The bill prohibits individuals and entities (excluding media companies) from making false, misleading, or deceptive statements about the monetary results obtained for clients. A statement is considered misleading if it implies a client received a net amount of money that they did not actually receive after all expenses, including attorney fees, are deducted. Violations are classified as unfair trade practices, allowing the attorney general to pursue enforcement actions and recover associated costs and fees.

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 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 summaryThis bill amends state laws to limit the liability of the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association and the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation in property insurance disputes. Specifically, it prevents these entities from being sued as part of a class action and restricts the amount of damages they can be ordered to pay. Additionally, the legislation mandates that property insurance rates for 2025 and later must be at least ten percent higher than the highest rates charged by other insurers in the same area, with some exceptions for specific zones. These changes aim to shield these two organizations from certain legal penalties and ensure higher insurance premiums for policyholders in the coming years.

Maddy summaryHB 782 provides supplemental funding for the Louisiana state government for the 2023-2024 fiscal year by adjusting specific budget line items. The bill authorizes money for various projects, including $1 million for improvements at Greenwell Springs Park and $500,000 for depot renovations in the city of Plaquemine. It also allocates funds to the city of Shreveport, a project named Project Seek, and Southern University while reducing a separate appropriation by $100,000. Additionally, the legislation includes several technical edits to the budget document, such as removing certain funding requests and clarifying which streets receive infrastructure support.