Rep. Raymond Crews

Maddy summaryHB 640 creates the Office of Louisiana Highway Construction within the state Department of Transportation. The bill grants this new office authority to use emergency procurement procedures for highway projects until January 1, 2026, mirroring existing rules for the broader transportation department. This directly affects state transportation operations by establishing a dedicated unit with specific buying powers for highway construction needs. The bill focuses on administrative structure and procurement processes, not on changing road standards or funding levels.

Maddy summaryHB 556 is a technical correction bill that updates outdated legal references in Louisiana law regarding the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD). It revises specific statute citations (such as R.S. 48:23, 76(C), 92, and 94) to align with current code sections, ensuring DOTD's operational procedures reference the correct laws. This procedural bill does not change DOTD's duties, funding, or public-facing policies - it only corrects statutory language for administrative accuracy. The bill affects the DOTD's internal operations by ensuring its legal framework matches current state statutes. (Note: This is a technical amendment, not a substantive policy change.)

Maddy summaryHB 690 is a procedural bill that amends Louisiana law to include specific state boards in the process for administering Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) medical activities. It directs the Surgeon General to draft rules involving the Louisiana State Law Institute, State Board of Medical Examiners, Board of Pharmacy, and State Board of Nursing. The bill does not create new policy but clarifies which entities must be consulted when implementing EUA protocols for healthcare providers. It directly affects these four state boards by designating their role in EUA rulemaking. The bill passed the Senate with strong support (73-22) in May 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 264 requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and drug manufacturers to increase transparency around drug pricing and compensation practices. It prohibits PBMs from charging pharmacies fees for claims (Amendment 7) and mandates drug manufacturers to notify the state commissioner of significant price increases (over 15% for brand drugs or "specialty" drugs) with explanations (Amendment 16). The bill also creates a fund for enforcement (Amendment 3) and requires PBMs to notify pharmacies of payment errors and allow claim corrections (Amendment 10). These provisions directly affect pharmacies, PBMs, and drug manufacturers by altering how drug costs and rebates are disclosed and managed.

Maddy summaryHB 466 requires Louisiana public school systems to provide a permanent salary increase for teachers and other school employees using savings from the state's payment of certain pension liabilities. It directly affects all public school systems and their covered personnel, including teachers (certificated) and support staff (noncertificated) as defined by specific job codes. The bill mandates schools incorporate this increase into salary schedules and extend it to employees on approved leave (e.g., medical, military, maternity/adoptive leave), with schools required to report implementation to the state Department of Education by December 31. Charter schools participating in the Teachers' Retirement System must comply with this provision, though they remain exempt from most other public school mandates.

Maddy summaryHB 378 lowers the required ACT score for students completing approved home study programs to qualify for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) award. It directly affects students in home study programs who previously needed a higher ACT score for initial TOPS eligibility. The bill amends the program's eligibility criteria by reducing the minimum ACT score threshold for this specific group. The change adjusts the policy without altering the program's core structure or funding amounts.

Maddy summaryHB 617 updates the legal references within Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) by changing titles and terminology. It replaces terms like "administrator" with "administrator assistant secretary," removes "child welfare" references, and updates them to "Louisiana Works" in multiple sections of the law. The bill has no financial or operational impact on services, as noted in the bill's "EN NO IMPACT" designation. This is purely an administrative adjustment to align legal language with current department structure and program naming.

Maddy summaryHB 254 requires energy utility providers to submit annual consumption reports to the state, clarifying that providers must report directly rather than self-report. It creates a state-maintained list of utilities meeting this requirement, directly affecting all electricity and gas providers serving residential or commercial customers. The bill’s key provision is establishing a standardized reporting process for utilities to share customer energy usage data annually, with no expected state or local budget impact. This streamlines data collection for state energy planning without imposing new costs or obligations on consumers.

Maddy summaryThis Louisiana House resolution urges the EPA to fast-track testing and approval of a feral hog toxicant developed by LSU AgCenter. It specifically requests the EPA use an existing exemption (Limited Replicated Field Trials) to bypass the typical 10-year review process, directly affecting Louisiana agriculture which faces over $90 million in annual damages from feral hogs. The resolution does not create new law but formally asks federal agencies to expedite safety testing for a sodium nitrite-based solution to address the invasive species threat.

Maddy summaryHB 358 allows pharmacy technicians to work remotely under specific circumstances, directly affecting pharmacy technicians employed in licensed pharmacies. The bill amends existing law to permit technicians to perform duties from locations outside a physical pharmacy, provided they use secure remote systems. The state board of pharmacy must create implementing rules to govern this remote work arrangement, ensuring compliance with safety and licensing standards. This change modifies current regulations without altering core pharmacy operations or patient care requirements.