Rep. Tehmi Chassion

Maddy summaryThis bill requires hospitals and birthing centers in Louisiana to give new mothers and their families a list of warning signs and local resources before they leave after giving birth. The Louisiana Department of Health will create this information and make it available online so medical facilities can use it. The goal is to ensure parents know what symptoms to watch for and where to get help if something goes wrong with their newborn or themselves.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds Tianeptine to Schedule I of Louisiana's Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law. By doing so, it classifies the substance as a drug with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, making its possession, sale, and distribution illegal under state law. The change applies to Tianeptine in any form, including its salts and isomers, unless it is part of a pharmaceutical product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This legislative action directly affects individuals who manufacture, distribute, or possess the substance and law enforcement officers who enforce these regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes an Alzheimer's and Related Dementias Advisory Council within the Louisiana Department of Health to provide guidance on issues affecting people with dementia. The council will be composed of specific members, including a representative from the home health industry with dementia experience, and the governor must appoint a caregiver for a person with Alzheimer's or related dementia to the group. The legislation also updates the council's connection to the governor's office of elderly affairs and adjusts the number of members to twenty-two. These changes aim to create a formal advisory body focused on dementia care without altering existing funding or operational procedures.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new specialty license plate in Louisiana dedicated to the Grambling State University World Famed Tiger Marching Band. The plate will be available to any Louisiana vehicle owner, including those driving cars, trucks, and motorcycles, provided there are at least 1,000 applicants. Each plate will cost an additional $25 in royalties, which must be used exclusively to support the university's marching band program, along with a small $3.50 administrative fee. The Department of Public Safety and Corrections is tasked with designing the plate in collaboration with university officials and issuing it once the necessary systems are updated.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases penalties for specific domestic violence offenses in Louisiana, particularly those involving strangulation. It directly affects individuals charged with battery against dating partners or domestic abuse battery who use strangulation or cause serious bodily injury. Under the new rules, offenders who strangle their victims face up to three years in hard labor, while those who strangle and cause serious injury must serve between five and fifty years without the possibility of probation or parole. Additionally, anyone who intentionally inflicts serious bodily injury during these crimes could face up to eight years in hard labor. These changes add mandatory prison time to existing punishments for the most severe forms of intimate partner violence.

Maddy summaryHB 61 is a procedural bill that amends the text of an existing state law regarding National Guard death and disability benefits. The legislation does not create new benefits or change how benefits are calculated; instead, it simply updates the legal citation within the current statute to include a specific introductory paragraph. Because the bill only corrects a reference and contains no new policy provisions, it has no direct impact on veterans or their families.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires educational institutions and agencies offering commercial driver training to include human trafficking education in their curriculum. The training must be in place by January 1, 2025, but the specific provisions take effect earlier, on August 1, 2024. This change directly affects schools and organizations that teach driving skills to commercial vehicle operators. The legislation aims to ensure that future commercial drivers are informed about human trafficking risks as part of their standard training.

Maddy summaryThis resolution expresses the condolences of the Louisiana House of Representatives for the death of Tammy Janell Downs, who passed away on May 6, 2024. The document highlights her life as a mother, wife, and community member, noting her connection to Representative Pat Moore as his step-daughter. It serves as a formal acknowledgment of her loss and extends sympathy to her surviving family and friends.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules for barber colleges in Louisiana by setting the minimum age for student admission at sixteen, with an exception allowing high school freshmen to enroll if the college operates within a high school. It also adds a new section to allow out-of-state registered barbers to apply for a certificate to practice in Louisiana if they meet specific qualifications and pay the required fee. The legislation clarifies that these new provisions apply to both existing and future barbering regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 204 updates the state's list of controlled substances by adding three specific synthetic drugs to the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law. The bill corrects the chemical names for two existing substances and introduces a new compound known as 2-Methyl AP-237 into the legal schedule. This change directly affects law enforcement and the justice system by ensuring these specific chemicals are treated as illegal drugs under state law.