Rep. Stephanie Berault

Maddy summaryThis bill amends state laws to limit the liability of the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association and the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation in property insurance disputes. Specifically, it prevents these entities from being sued as part of a class action and restricts the amount of damages they can be ordered to pay. Additionally, the legislation mandates that property insurance rates for 2025 and later must be at least ten percent higher than the highest rates charged by other insurers in the same area, with some exceptions for specific zones. These changes aim to shield these two organizations from certain legal penalties and ensure higher insurance premiums for policyholders in the coming years.

Maddy summaryThis Louisiana bill adds Tianeptine, a substance increasingly used for its sedative effects, to Schedule I of the state's Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Law. By placing it in this category, the legislation classifies Tianeptine as having a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use within the state. The law applies to any material containing Tianeptine, including its salts and isomers, unless it is part of a product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Consequently, this change subjects the substance to the strictest level of regulation, making possession, distribution, and use subject to criminal penalties similar to those for other Schedule I drugs.

Maddy summaryHB 467 is a procedural bill that amends the state code to update references regarding the sale of raw milk and commercial animal feeds. The legislation modifies existing sections to include new requirements for monthly salmonella testing, record-keeping, and labeling standards for raw milk producers. It also grants the commissioner of agriculture the authority to temporarily suspend the sale of raw milk if it poses an immediate health threat, while allowing legislative committees to review and override such suspensions. Because the bill text indicates no impact on current laws and primarily serves to align statutory references, it functions as a technical update rather than introducing new substantive policy.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a licensing requirement for wholesale and retail seafood dealers in the state. It creates an exemption from this license for restaurants and retail grocers that only buy seafood from licensed dealers and sell it fully prepared for immediate consumption. The legislation sets the annual license fee at three hundred dollars and mandates that all licensed dealers maintain specific records.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends a previous resolution regarding the use of funds generated from alternative energy production in Louisiana's coastal zone. The specific change directs that $300 be allocated from these funds, replacing a previously blank amount. This adjustment affects the financial management of coastal energy projects by specifying a fixed sum for distribution. The measure does not create new programs but rather clarifies the exact dollar amount available for disposition under the existing framework.

Maddy summaryHB 899 is a technical amendment to the Hope for Louisiana Patients Law that updates specific legal citations and removes a provision regarding the treatment of unemancipated minors. The bill does not introduce new policies or directly affect any individuals or organizations. Instead, it modifies existing text to align with current legal references and streamline the statute's language.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates the Office of the Surgeon General within the Louisiana Department of Health to establish a formal leadership role for public health advocacy. The legislation primarily involves administrative text changes to ensure the title is consistently written as "office of the surgeon general" throughout the law. Additionally, the bill clarifies the effective date of the act, specifying when it becomes law upon the governor's signature or approval. These provisions aim to organize the state's health infrastructure without altering existing operational powers or funding.

Maddy summaryHB 782 provides supplemental funding for the Louisiana state government for the 2023-2024 fiscal year by adjusting specific budget line items. The bill authorizes money for various projects, including $1 million for improvements at Greenwell Springs Park and $500,000 for depot renovations in the city of Plaquemine. It also allocates funds to the city of Shreveport, a project named Project Seek, and Southern University while reducing a separate appropriation by $100,000. Additionally, the legislation includes several technical edits to the budget document, such as removing certain funding requests and clarifying which streets receive infrastructure support.

Maddy summaryHB 896 is a procedural amendment bill that modifies the Louisiana Remote Patient Monitoring Program Law by removing a specific time restriction and correcting line numbers and punctuation within the text. These changes adjust the eligibility criteria for the program by deleting a clause that previously required patients to have been diagnosed within the last eighteen months. The bill also renumbers a list item and deletes an entire line to streamline the statutory language. Directly affecting the administration of the remote patient monitoring program, the legislation aims to refine the rules governing patient participation without altering the program's core purpose.

Maddy summaryHB 443 is a procedural amendment that corrects specific references within a law regarding the confidentiality of records for certain protected individuals. The bill does not introduce new policies or change existing rules but instead updates the text to align paragraph and subsection numbering with the current legal structure. This technical adjustment ensures the statute accurately describes how confidentiality protections apply without altering the actual rights or obligations involved.