Rep. Tehmi Chassion

Maddy summaryHB 327 requires Louisiana public and nonpublic schools to use a standardized 10-point grading scale (e.g., A=90-100, B=80-89) when calculating the minimum GPA needed for students to qualify for the TOPS scholarship program. This change applies to grades submitted for graduation in the 2024-2025 school year and beyond, directly affecting students seeking TOPS eligibility. Schools must resubmit recertified grades using this scale by August 31, 2025, for students graduating in 2024-2025. The bill takes effect for the 2024-2025 school year, aiming to standardize GPA calculations across all participating schools.

Maddy summarySB 174 is a technical amendment to an existing public health statute (R.S. 46.460.51) that adjusts a reference from a subsection to the full section. It does not change any screening requirements or directly affect patients, providers, or policies. The bill only corrects a citation in the law, making it consistent with the current statute. As a procedural adjustment to a reference, it has no substantive policy impact on pregnancy screenings.

Maddy summarySB 120 amends Louisiana law to require mental health facilities to include specific language in emergency admission certificates. The bill mandates that certificates state whether a person is unwilling or unable to seek voluntary admission, or willing to seek it upon arrival at the treatment facility. This change directly affects mental health facilities and patients during emergency admissions, ensuring clearer documentation of patient status. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate (38-0) and is now moving to the House for consideration.

Maddy summarySB 182 allows Louisiana's Department of Health to temporarily suspend Medicaid prior authorization and other utilization management requirements during a declared emergency. This applies broadly to all Medicaid recipients for essential healthcare services, removing prior restrictions that specifically mentioned cancer treatment or oncology care. The bill's key mechanism gives the Department authority to ensure uninterrupted access to medical services when emergencies like natural disasters or public health crises occur. It affects all Medicaid beneficiaries in Louisiana by streamlining access to necessary care during emergencies. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and is now pending in the House.

Maddy summarySB 153 creates limited scope licenses for certain mental health professionals providing Community Psychiatric Support Team (CPST) services under Louisiana's Medicaid program. It allows provisional license holders (like counselors, marriage and family therapists, and certified social workers) who have provided CPST services to obtain a limited license specifically for those services, bypassing full licensure requirements. The bill updates Medicaid reimbursement rules to require all CPST service providers to have staff meeting specific licensing criteria, including those with the new limited licenses. This directly affects Medicaid-funded behavioral health providers and professionals seeking to work in community psychiatric support roles. The changes aim to expand access to these services while maintaining oversight through defined licensing pathways.

Maddy summarySB 96 sets new Medicaid reimbursement rules for certain behavioral health services in Louisiana, directly affecting providers of partial hospitalization programs at inpatient psychiatric hospitals serving adults and seniors. The bill requires the Louisiana Department of Health to establish annual reimbursement rates for these services through separate legislative funding each year, replacing the previous requirement to use 100% of Medicare rates. This change gives the state flexibility to adjust rates based on available funding rather than tying them directly to Medicare benchmarks. The bill does not change eligibility or coverage but alters how providers are paid for specific behavioral health care delivered in hospital settings.

Maddy summarySB 41 is titled "CHILDREN: Provides relative to child welfare." Based on the provided information, the specific details of the bill's provisions, who it directly affects, and its key mechanisms are not available. The provided text only shows an amendment placeholder, not the full content of the bill.

Maddy summaryHB 408, known as "The Gillian Guiffreda Act," mandates that health insurance plans cover treatments for pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS) and related conditions. This directly affects children diagnosed with PANS - a severe neurological condition causing sudden behavioral and cognitive changes - and their families, who previously faced barriers to insurance coverage for specialized care. The bill requires insurers to provide coverage for medically necessary treatments related to these conditions, without imposing additional out-of-pocket costs on patients. It focuses on ensuring access to established medical care rather than creating new treatments or programs.

Maddy summarySB 137 requires insurance companies to notify the state Department of Insurance when they stop, pause, or restart selling policies in a specific geographic region. This applies directly to all insurers operating within defined areas of the state. Insurers must provide written notice of these changes in policy availability, with the law taking effect on January 1, 2026. The bill creates a clear reporting mechanism to track shifts in insurance market access.

Maddy summaryHB 77 expands Louisiana's TOPS scholarship program by creating an "Excellence Award" for students scoring 31 or higher on the ACT or qualifying via the Classic Learning Test (CLT). This new award level directly affects high-achieving Louisiana students attending accredited independent colleges within the state. The bill specifies that eligible students enrolled at participating independent colleges will receive either the actual tuition cost (up to $8,500) or a flat $8,500 payment, whichever is lower. It modifies existing scholarship provisions to add the CLT as an alternative assessment and clarify award eligibility for students pursuing degrees at qualifying institutions.