Rep. Tehmi Chassion

Maddy summaryHB 895 requires Louisiana hospitals and healthcare providers to offer sexual assault survivors specific medical treatments without undue delay. It mandates that providers make emergency contraception available and provide at least a three-day supply of HIV/STI prevention medication when medically needed, alongside private examinations adapted to each survivor's needs. The bill also requires hospitals to offer a survivor advocate (with confidential communications) during forensic exams, with the survivor's consent. This directly affects sexual assault survivors receiving emergency medical care in Louisiana hospitals.

Maddy summaryHB 748 would exempt all Louisiana school board-owned vehicles from paying tolls on state-operated bridges, highways, and public ferries (excluding the Greater New Orleans Expressway). Currently, only school buses carrying students during specific hours have toll-free passage; this bill expands that exemption to cover any vehicle owned or operated by Louisiana school boards. The law would require the state to provide free passage for these vehicles over all public toll roads, bridges, and ferries managed by Louisiana. This change directly affects school districts by reducing operational costs for their vehicle fleets.

Maddy summaryHB 325 revises Louisiana's TOPS-Tech scholarship eligibility by adding a new pathway for students to qualify. Instead of requiring only a minimum GPA or ACT score, students can now qualify by completing at least nine credit hours of early college coursework (through dual enrollment or technical programs) or equivalent validated skills. This change applies to first-time freshmen enrolling in college during or after the 2026-2027 academic year. The bill directly affects Louisiana students seeking this career-focused scholarship by expanding how they can meet academic requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 682 amends Louisiana law to allow veterans with an honorable military discharge (as defined in R.S. 13:5364) to serve as school resource officers alongside traditional peace officers. This directly affects Louisiana public schools seeking resource officers and eligible veterans who meet the military service criteria. The bill changes the legal definition of "school resource officer" to explicitly include qualified veterans, without creating new funding or mandatory requirements. It does not alter existing hiring processes but expands the pool of eligible candidates for these school safety roles. The bill is currently in the early stages of consideration after being prefaced and referred to the Education Committee.

Maddy summaryHB 823 establishes a pilot program in Orleans Parish that offers homeless individuals facing criminal charges an alternative to court proceedings. Instead of traditional sentencing, eligible defendants can participate in a diversion program providing housing assistance, mental health services, job training, and substance abuse treatment. If participants successfully complete the program’s requirements, the criminal charges are dismissed without a conviction. The program requires annual evaluations and reporting to the Louisiana Supreme Court, aiming to reduce recidivism, court workload, and prison overcrowding while addressing homelessness through community partnerships.

Maddy summaryHB 766 requires health insurers in Louisiana to cover orally administered anti-cancer medications on the same terms as intravenously administered ones. It prohibits insurers from imposing higher copays, deductibles, or prior authorizations for oral medications compared to IV treatments, and bans programs that ignore drug discounts (like "accumulator" programs). The bill caps out-of-pocket costs for oral anti-cancer drugs at $100 per prescription and ensures cost-sharing counts toward annual out-of-pocket maximums. It applies to most health plans but excludes limited-benefit policies, high-deductible plans with HSAs, and self-funded ERISA plans. This directly affects cancer patients and insurers by reducing financial barriers to oral medication access.

Maddy summaryHB 608 creates confidentiality protections for specific documents related to college athletes' compensation and revenue sharing in Louisiana. It makes two types of documents confidential and exempt from public records requests: (1) any document an athlete shares with their school about their contract terms, and (2) documents created during negotiations for an athletics revenue sharing program. These provisions directly affect college athletes and their institutions by preventing public access to sensitive financial agreements. The bill modifies Louisiana's public records law to exclude these materials from disclosure requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 513 grants Louisiana intercollegiate (college) and interscholastic (high school) athletes the right to control and profit from the commercial use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL). It directly affects student-athletes at Louisiana public and private colleges receiving state financial aid, as well as high school athletes in grades 9-12 participating in sanctioned sports. Key provisions require schools to allow athletes to hire licensed agents or attorneys for NIL deals, protect institutions from liability for decisions affecting NIL earnings (except in cases of gross negligence), and mandate schools to create policies covering NIL compensation rules, institutional support, and educational workshops on financial literacy. The bill also requires schools to establish clear guidelines for using institutional marks and facilities in NIL activities.

Maddy summaryThis bill is a concurrent resolution that asks the Port of New Orleans to purchase extra backup motors for the St. Claude Avenue Bridge. The measure addresses past problems where burned-out motors caused extended bridge closures, which have led to traffic jams and disrupted travel between Orleans and Saint Bernard parishes. By securing spare parts, the Port would be able to replace failed equipment more quickly and restore bridge operations without long delays. The resolution does not mandate any action but formally urges the Port to take steps to improve the bridge's reliability and reduce traffic disruptions for residents and commuters.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the United States Congress to collaborate on finding a cure for Sanfilippo Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder affecting children. The resolution calls for legislative action and support rather than establishing new funding or regulatory requirements. It was recently passed by the House of Representatives with unanimous support. The primary effect is a formal statement of intent to address this specific medical condition.