Rep. Ken Brass

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits individuals from picketing directly in front of a person's home or dwelling, specifically within fifty feet of the property. It updates existing laws to clarify that the restriction applies to the immediate vicinity of a residence rather than a broader area nearby. The legislation also expands the scope to include situations where the picketing interferes with an individual's control over their property or use of their home. These changes aim to provide clearer legal boundaries for what constitutes prohibited picketing behavior near private residences.

Maddy summarySB 500 amends existing tax rules to ensure that local fees and taxes apply to specific non-gaming incentives provided by certain licensed businesses. The bill clarifies that these taxes cover items given away for free or obtained through loyalty program rewards, such as discounts or redeemable points. It also explicitly states that sales and use taxes still apply when businesses purchase the physical goods intended to be used as these incentives. This legislation directly affects licensees who offer promotional items and the local governments that collect these taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all students to take either the ACT, WorkKeys, or the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery as part of their graduation assessments. It allows students who score well on the English and math sections of the ACT to be exempt from other end-of-course tests. Additionally, the legislation permits career diploma students to substitute WorkKeys or the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery for the ACT. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education must create a system to convert scores from these different tests so they can be compared fairly for school accountability purposes.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the age eligibility requirements for the M.J. Foster Promise Program, a Louisiana initiative that provides tuition assistance to low-income students. Instead of requiring applicants to be at least 21 years old, the legislation introduces a gradual phase-in process that lowers the minimum age over four years. Starting with the 2024-2025 academic year, the age requirement will drop to 20 and continue decreasing annually until it reaches 17 for all subsequent years. These changes directly affect high school graduates and current students seeking to enroll in the program under new, more accessible age criteria.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates one new judgeship for the 23rd Judicial District Court to address staffing needs in that specific court. To fund this position, the legislation allocates an additional $462,884 in state budget resources. The change directly affects the court's ability to assign cases to an additional judge and requires the state to increase its spending on judicial salaries.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the text of a previous legislative proposal to specify that the changes refer to the "Constitution of Louisiana" rather than just "constitution." It does not create new laws or alter funding allocations, as those details are contained in the separate bill it modifies. The only direct effect is a minor textual correction to ensure legal precision within the state's legislative records.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a monthly supplemental payment of $600 for full-time fire protection officers employed by the Port of South Louisiana. To qualify for this extra compensation, officers must have completed at least one year of service and hold a recognized firefighter certification, such as NFPA 1001 or an approved maritime training program. The state will fund this additional pay, which will increase automatically if the base supplemental pay for other state employees is raised. The law takes effect on July 1, 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies the time limits for prosecuting third-degree rape cases in Louisiana. It removes a specific exception that previously allowed for longer prosecution periods under certain circumstances. Instead, the law now sets a single deadline for filing charges that begins when the crime is discovered. These changes directly impact prosecutors and victims of third-degree rape by standardizing when legal action must be taken.

Maddy summaryHB 253 is a technical amendment bill that corrects minor grammatical and spelling errors in the text of a separate fire protection law. These changes include removing an extra article, fixing a possessive noun, and standardizing the spelling of "copayment." The bill does not introduce new policies or funding but serves only to refine the language of an existing measure regarding cancer screenings for firefighters.

Maddy summaryHB 137 amends the statutes governing the Children's Cabinet Advisory Board by updating the specific sections of law that define its membership requirements. The bill narrows the list of eligible individuals who can serve on the board, removing certain categories of people from the roster of potential members. This change directly affects the composition of the advisory group by restricting who is legally allowed to join it.