Rep. Kellee Hennessy

Maddy summaryHR 247 is a resolution directing Louisiana's Special Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs to study two existing programs supporting veterans in the criminal justice system: the Veterans Court Program Treatment Act and the Post-Conviction Veterans Mentor Program. The committee must evaluate these programs to recommend potential revisions that better assist veterans with co-occurring mental health, substance use, and criminal justice challenges. The resolution requires the committee to submit a report to the House Judiciary Committee by March 9, 2026. This is a procedural step focused on program review, not new legislation.

Maddy summaryHB 116 establishes the Louisiana Military Family Assistance Fund to provide annual grants to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving veterans and their families. The bill allows the fund to issue up to $10,000 per grant (with a total annual limit of $100,000) for projects specifically addressing education, mental health, or housing needs. Organizations must submit detailed proposals, use funds strictly for approved purposes (not for general operations or debt), and submit final reports with financial records for four years. Grants not used as intended must be repaid within 30 days, and grantees face audits to ensure compliance.

Maddy summaryHB 64 modifies state law regarding settlement agreements involving the Attorney General. It prohibits future settlement terms that require continuing federal court oversight beyond 60 days, making such terms unenforceable against the state government or successor officials. The bill specifically targets agreements creating binding future obligations exceeding this timeframe without requiring consent from the Attorney General or Governor. This change aims to limit long-term federal judicial oversight in state settlements. The bill was reported favorably by the Judiciary Committee with a 15-0 vote.

Maddy summarySB 216 is a procedural bill that updates the numbering of sections within the Department of Transportation and Development's bidding process rules. It changes references from "(a)", "(b)", "(c)", and "(d)" to "(1)", "(2)", "(3)", and "(4)" for clarity in administrative documents. This technical amendment does not create new policies or affect any external entities, as noted by its "EN NO IMPACT" designation. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and is now moving to the House for consideration.

Maddy summaryThis Louisiana legislative resolution (HR 316) urges Congress and the former Trump administration to prevent federal regulators from pressuring banks to cut ties with specific industries. It criticizes past actions like "Operation Choke Point" (targeting gun sellers, payday lenders, and crypto businesses) and regulatory "guidance" on climate policy, arguing such pressure harms free-market access to banking. The resolution demands regulators focus solely on financial crime (money laundering, terrorism financing) and avoid using their authority to advance unrelated policy goals. It calls for greater transparency to balance regulatory oversight with fair access to banking services for law-abiding customers. Note: This is a symbolic state resolution, not a federal law.

Maddy summaryHCR 75 is a procedural House Concurrent Resolution that creates a Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force. It establishes the task force structure, specifying that the House-appointed member serves as chair and outlining its composition through committee referral. This resolution does not enact new policy or directly affect specific groups; it solely provides a framework for coordination among state agencies. The resolution is currently pending in committee with recent favorable reports.

Maddy summaryHB 184 creates a new tax deduction for Louisiana residents diagnosed with a terminal illness (or their spouse in joint returns) who withdraw funds from retirement accounts due to immediate financial need. The bill allows these "qualifying taxpayers" to deduct hardship distributions from their taxable income, as defined in Louisiana law (R.S. 47:297.26). This deduction applies only to withdrawals made because of a terminal illness diagnosis, not general financial hardship. The policy takes effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2026. It directly affects Louisiana taxpayers with terminal illness who access retirement funds early.

Maddy summaryThe full text of HB 359 is not provided, making a complete summary difficult. However, based on the available information, Amendment No. 1 to HB 359 proposes to add an emergency medicine physician, selected by the president of the Louisiana State Medical Society, to a specific list or body within the bill. Given the bill's title, "MENTAL HEALTH: Provides relative to victims of human trafficking," this physician would likely be involved in efforts related to mental health support for human trafficking victims. The specific role or impact of this addition cannot be determined without the full bill text.

Maddy summaryHB 547 would allow horse racing venues to offer fixed odds wagering, where bettors place bets with predetermined payout amounts before races instead of traditional pari-mutuel betting. This directly affects racetracks that host horse races and individuals who wager on those races. The bill authorizes this specific betting method, setting fixed odds for outcomes rather than calculating payouts based on total wagers after the race. The bill is currently under review by the Committee on Commerce and will move to Appropriations for further consideration.

Maddy summaryHCR 15 amends Louisiana's legislative rules to set deadlines and requirements for non-governmental entities (like nonprofits or private groups, not state agencies or local governments) seeking state funding through budget bills. It requires these entities to submit funding requests by November 1 each year to specific legislative committees, with late requests needing approval from budget committees before the legislative deadline. The bill also prohibits including such funding in budget bills after July 1, 2025, unless approved through the specified process. This is a procedural rule change affecting how funding requests are handled, not a new funding law.