Rep. Tehmi Chassion

Maddy summarySB 105 amends Louisiana's TOPS program to expand eligibility for the TOPS-Tech Award to veterans honorably discharged from U.S. military installations located in Louisiana. To qualify, veterans must earn a 17+ ACT score (or equivalent SAT/ACT WorkKeys silver level) and submit their DD-214 discharge documents. The bill specifically applies to the 2020-2023 academic years and targets veterans who served at Louisiana military bases. It modifies existing eligibility rules without changing funding or creating new benefits, focusing solely on qualifying veterans for technical college financial aid.

Maddy summarySB 34, "Bryan's Call," establishes clear rules for missing child alerts in Louisiana. It requires AMBER Alerts for children 17 or younger in immediate danger of serious harm or death, and Level II alerts for other missing children cases that don’t meet AMBER criteria. Local police must assess alert types, but state police make the final decision and provide required training for law enforcement on using these systems. The law also grants legal immunity to broadcasters, cable operators, and law enforcement for actions related to Level II alerts.

Maddy summarySB 221 establishes that "treatment-in-place" services - where ambulance providers assess and treat patients at the scene of a 911 call without transporting them - must be covered under Louisiana's Medicaid program (medical assistance program). Ambulance providers (excluding air ambulance services) will be reimbursed at existing Medicaid fee schedule rates for these services, without requiring real-time video or audio communication with a doctor for reimbursement. The bill mandates that such services follow medical protocols and the provider's scope of practice, while the Louisiana Department of Health will create implementing rules. This directly affects Medicaid beneficiaries receiving non-transport emergency care and ambulance providers who serve them.

Maddy summarySB 255 requires Medicaid-funded behavioral health providers in Louisiana to ensure staff delivering psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) services hold at least a bachelor's degree in specific fields like counseling, social work, or psychology. This affects all licensed providers seeking Medicaid reimbursement for PSR services. The bill mandates these educational qualifications as a condition for continued reimbursement, updating existing Medicaid eligibility rules. The measure is pending legislative review and would not take effect until enacted.

Maddy summarySB 314 allows certified social workers in Louisiana who have provided community psychiatric support and treatment (CPST) services for three years to extend their certification for that specific role. It applies to workers who meet all master's-level social work licensure requirements except for one specific provision (R.S. 37:2707(A)(3)), enabling them to petition for an extension to continue CPST work. The bill specifically includes a provision to renew certifications that expired in 2025, allowing affected workers to apply for the extension. This is a procedural change to certification rules, not a new service or funding measure.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates two specific segments of Louisiana Highway 182 as memorial highways: the portion in Jeanerette between Hubertville Road and Canal Street as the "Berwick 'BJ' LeJeune, Jr. Memorial Highway," and the segment between Jeanerette and Sorrel (from LA 671 to LA 318) as the "Ret. Judge Richard T. 'Dickey' Haik, Sr. Memorial Highway." It requires the Department of Transportation to install signage for these designations, funded entirely by local or private contributions covering costs up to $750 per sign. The bill has no substantive policy changes beyond naming these highway sections and establishing a cost-recovery mechanism for signage.

Maddy summaryHB 676 prohibits paying or receiving money for referring patients to substance abuse, mental health, or substance use disorder treatment facilities, defining this practice as "body brokering." It bans kickbacks tied to referral volume, treatment duration, or service type, but allows fixed payments unrelated to these factors. Violators face up to 5 years in prison, $50,000 fines, license suspension, or civil penalties. The law directly affects health care providers, facilities, and entities involved in patient referrals for substance use disorder treatment.

Maddy summaryHB 721 modifies Louisiana's commercial shrimp harvesting rules by allowing licensed shrimpers to begin trawling in Vermilion Bay, East Cote Blanche Bay, and West Cote Blanche Bay at 5:30 a.m. during open seasons, instead of the previous nighttime ban. This change specifically affects commercial shrimp harvesters operating in those three bays, removing the prohibition on night shrimping that previously restricted operations from sunset to sunrise. The bill amends existing law (R.S. 56:499.4) to create this exception, while maintaining other nighttime restrictions in different areas like Atchafalaya Bay. The proposal is currently pending in the Natural Resources and Environment Committee after being prefied on February 27, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 636, the "Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act," requires Louisiana public colleges and universities to prevent, report, and respond to hazing involving student organizations. It defines hazing broadly (including physical brutality, dangerous activities, or substance consumption) and mandates annual hazing education for all students starting fall 2027, plus specific orientation education for new students. The bill also requires student organizations to report hazing incidents to both law enforcement and their institution, and institutions must document all actions and share full details with law enforcement. These provisions directly affect public postsecondary institutions, their students, and all student organizations, including fraternities, sororities, and clubs.

Maddy summaryHB 574 amends Louisiana law to revise the membership requirements for the Mental Health Advocacy Service board of trustees. It specifies that the board will include representatives from designated law schools (Loyola, Southern University, LSU, and Tulane) and updated names for key organizations: the Louisiana Mental Health Association, Louisiana State Medical Society, and Louisiana State Bar Association. The bill does not create new services or funding but adjusts which entities serve on the governing board. This is a procedural change affecting the board's composition, not the service's operations.