Rep. Beau Beaullieu

Maddy summaryHB 34 revises how medical expenses are handled in civil lawsuits, impacting claimants seeking recovery for medical costs and parties involved in trials. It limits the recovery of medical expenses to amounts considered reasonable for the claim. The bill allows any party to introduce evidence of both the billed and paid amounts for medical services. Furthermore, agreements between healthcare providers and third parties, such as letters of protection with attorneys, will be admissible as evidence to ensure transparency.

Maddy summaryHB 397 revises the Code of Governmental Ethics, directly affecting public servants, including legislators and legislative employees. It redefines what constitutes a "thing of economic value," clarifying exceptions for items like promotional materials, medical samples, and certain food and drink. The bill also establishes new definitions, such as "public speech," and sets specific rules for "reasonable transportation" for legislators and legislative employees, outlining its use for educational, informational, or entertainment purposes with defined geographic limits. Furthermore, it addresses provisions related to payments from nonpublic sources, prohibited contractual arrangements, financial disclosure requirements, and procedures for ethics investigations and penalties.

Maddy summaryHR 20 is a resolution that expresses the condolences of the House of Representatives upon the death of Steven "Steve" Joseph Miguez. It acknowledges his life, business career, competitive shooting achievements, and family.

Maddy summaryHR 1 is a resolution from the House of Representatives that commends Patricia Lowrey-Dufour upon her retirement. It recognizes her nearly four decades of service as the senior legislative analyst for the House Committee on House and Governmental Affairs with House Legislative Services.

Maddy summaryHB 458 defines the 105 electoral districts for Louisiana's House of Representatives by specifying which precincts in each parish belong to each district. It replaces the previous redistricting law with detailed boundary descriptions for all districts, such as listing precincts in Caddo, Bossier, and other parishes for each representative seat. This procedural bill directly affects Louisiana voters by determining which geographic area elects each House member, with no policy changes beyond establishing district boundaries.

Maddy summaryHB 5 requires Louisiana public school systems to use savings from the Teachers' Retirement System to provide permanent salary increases for teachers and other school employees starting in the 2025-2026 school year. Certificated staff, such as teachers and administrators, must receive at least a $2,000 raise, while non-certificated staff, including aides and clerical workers, must receive at least $1,000. The bill mandates that these salary increases include associated retirement costs and applies to employees on specific leaves, such as military or maternity leave, provided they remain in their approved positions. If a school district does not have enough savings to cover the full amount of these raises, the remaining cost is to be funded through the state's minimum foundation program formula. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that charter schools participating in the state retirement system must also comply with these salary increase requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a special statewide election to be held on March 29, 2025, specifically for Louisiana voters to consider proposed changes to the state constitution. The election will only take place if the legislature successfully passes joint resolutions containing these constitutional amendments during its current 2024 session. The bill outlines the legal framework for conducting this election in accordance with existing election laws and specifies that the measure becomes effective once signed by the governor or after a set period if not vetoed. If no constitutional amendments are approved by the legislature during the specified session, the entire election provision will become void and have no effect.

Maddy summaryHB 418 amends the state severance tax law to lower tax rates on oil and gas extracted from inactive wells and orphan wells. The bill applies these reduced rates to taxable periods starting on or after October 1, 2024, and ending on September 30, 2028. This change directly affects the revenue collected by the state from these specific types of well production.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows the Iberia Economic Development Authority to sign lease agreements lasting up to 99 years with specific partners, including higher education institutions and private companies they recruit for regional development. The legislation permits these long-term leases to include clauses that adjust rental rates based on economic conditions and sets the annual rent at one dollar for these qualifying agreements. It directly affects the authority's ability to secure long-term land or property use for economic projects while providing financial incentives to attract educational and private sector entities.

Maddy summaryHB 763 amends a previous bill by changing the word "Subsection" to "Section" on page 3, line 8, to correct a technical error in the text. This procedural adjustment does not alter the substantive policies regarding federal election guidance or funding that were established in the original legislation. The change ensures the bill's language is consistent and ready for final passage without modifying the actual rules or funding allocations.