Rep. Tehmi Chassion

Maddy summarySB 129 requires health insurance companies to cover proton therapy for cancer treatment when recommended by the American Society for Radiation Oncology guidelines. This directly affects cancer patients seeking this specialized treatment and health insurers who must provide coverage without denial. The bill prohibits insurers from refusing coverage for proton therapy under these specific clinical guidelines. It does not change existing coverage rules for other treatments or impose new financial burdens on the state, as noted in the bill's "EN NO IMPACT" designation.

Maddy summaryHB 164 modifies mallard hunting license requirements for specific hunting preserves. It adds a requirement that licenses must be for "pen-raised mallard" and clarifies that coastal zones north of Highway 90 licensed as preserves in 2024 are included. The bill directly affects commercial hunting preserves that raise mallards for hunting, changing how their licenses are categorized. It does not alter general hunting rules but specifies license types and geographic boundaries for these preserves.

Maddy summaryHB 107 creates a designated economic development district within the city of St. Martinville, Louisiana. This procedural bill establishes the framework for a specific district to support local economic growth initiatives. The bill does not detail specific tax incentives, development requirements, or direct impacts on residents or businesses, as the provided context lacks those details. It is a technical measure to formally define the district's existence, with minor grammatical amendments (changing "finance" to "financing") noted in the text.

Maddy summaryHB 202 requires Louisiana public colleges and universities to offer students a voluntary privacy waiver form. This form allows students to authorize their institution to share specific mental health crisis information - such as the nature of the crisis, actions taken (e.g., counseling referrals), and follow-up care recommendations - with designated contacts (like parents or guardians) during a mental health emergency where the student poses a risk to themselves or others. The waiver explicitly states that specific diagnoses or treatment details will not be shared without additional authorization, and students can revoke consent in writing at any time. The policy applies directly to all students at Louisiana’s public postsecondary institutions and their chosen contacts, while maintaining compliance with federal and state privacy laws.

Maddy summaryHB 210 requires pharmacies and state agencies participating in the prescription monitoring program to retain all records for the time specified in official retention schedules and obtain approval from the state archivist before destroying any records. The bill adds new provisions (R.S. 40:1006(H)) mandating these retention and destruction protocols, aligning with existing state record management laws (R.S. 44:411). It directly affects pharmacies, health agencies, and state departments handling prescription data by establishing clear, enforceable record-keeping requirements. The legislation focuses on ensuring long-term accessibility of prescription monitoring records for oversight purposes.

Maddy summaryHB 355 amends Louisiana's government ethics code to specifically allow former sexual assault nurse examiners to continue providing services to their former public employers on a contractual basis after leaving government jobs. The bill creates a targeted exception to standard post-employment restrictions, directly affecting sexual assault nurse examiners who transition from public healthcare roles. This change enables these professionals to maintain contractual relationships with their previous employers without violating ethics rules, focusing solely on their specific role in sexual assault care. The provision is limited to this profession and does not alter general post-employment rules for other public employees.

Maddy summaryHCR 37 establishes the Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Task Force within the state's higher education system. The task force will develop strategies to prevent hazing at colleges and universities, directly affecting public and private higher education institutions. The resolution names the task force after Caleb Wilson, honoring his memory, though the bill does not detail specific prevention methods or funding mechanisms. This is a procedural resolution creating a new body, not a law imposing new requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 203 increases funding for extraordinary medical and dental expenses incurred by firefighters and law enforcement officers due to on-duty injuries. The bill reduces the maximum payment amount from $150,000 to $50,000 per injury and applies to expenses from January 1, 2023, onward. It directly affects public safety workers who sustain job-related injuries requiring specialized medical or dental care. The legislation modifies existing funding provisions to adjust the financial support level for these specific expenses.

Maddy summaryHB 231 extends health insurance coverage to surviving spouses and children of law enforcement officers (and firemen, as referenced in the title) who die while on duty. It requires employers to provide lifetime health insurance for surviving spouses and coverage for children until age 23 (if in school) or permanently disabled, matching the level offered to active officers. The law applies only to parishes with 240,000-255,000 residents (based on census data) and includes retroactive coverage for benefits starting January 1, 2017. This policy change directly affects families of deceased officers/firemen in qualifying parishes, ensuring ongoing health benefits without requiring family consent.

Maddy summarySB 52 exempts grants from Louisiana's Fortify Homes Program from state individual income tax starting January 1, 2025. It directly affects Louisiana homeowners who receive these grants, which are designed to help strengthen homes against storms. The bill adds a specific exclusion to the state's tax code, ensuring these grant amounts are not counted as taxable income when calculating state income tax. This change applies only to grants received on or after the effective date, with no other policy changes described in the bill text.