Rep. Candace Newell

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HR 345) is a memorial from Louisiana's House urging Congress to create a federal disaster insurance program covering flooding, tornadoes, fires, and other disasters. It directly affects homeowners and businesses in disaster-prone areas by requesting affordable insurance to cover rebuilding costs, modeled after the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The resolution emphasizes that such insurance would provide financial certainty for insurers and expedite recovery efforts after events like hurricanes or wildfires. It does not create new law but asks Congress to adopt this approach to complement existing disaster relief programs.

Maddy summaryHR 329 is a resolution (not a binding bill) passed by the Louisiana House urging the Attorney General and Louisiana Department of Insurance to investigate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for potential violations of existing laws. It specifically requests that these agencies examine whether PBMs are violating rules by owning or financially benefiting from pharmacies, which critics argue creates conflicts of interest that disadvantage independent pharmacies. The resolution also urges the Louisiana legislature to pass new laws prohibiting PBMs from owning or having financial interests in pharmacies. This would aim to prevent PBMs from steering patients to their own affiliated pharmacies and ensure fair reimbursement practices for all pharmacies. The resolution highlights concerns about rising drug costs, reduced competition, and threats to rural pharmacy access, referencing similar actions taken by other states.

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 summaryThis resolution creates a task force to study the feasibility of building a regional water purification facility serving Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, and St. Charles parishes. The task force, composed of appointed representatives from these parishes and the City Services Coalition, will assess strategies for operation and management and submit a report to local authorities by March 15, 2026. The effort specifically addresses challenges like saltwater intrusion impacting drinking water quality in the region.

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 681 amends a public records law to expand who qualifies as a "public official" whose personal information (like contact details) is subject to public record requests. It adds three new categories: current state legislators, statewide elected officials, and current public service commission members. This change directly affects those three groups by making their personal information accessible under existing public records procedures. The bill updates the statute without creating new policies or altering other record access rules. (Summary based solely on the bill's text and amendments.)

Maddy summaryHB 266 would increase personal needs allowances for residents in Louisiana nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. The bill requires a separate legislative appropriation to fund these increased allowances before implementation, specifying that funding must be included in a future budget act. It does not change current allowances but sets a requirement for future funding to take effect. The bill has advanced to the Health and Welfare Committee for further review.

Maddy summaryHB 325 adjusts the tax rate for certain cigars sold in the state. This bill directly affects cigar manufacturers and retailers by changing how much tax they must collect on specific cigar products. The key mechanism is amending the existing tax provision to modify the rate, as reflected in the bill's text amendment changing "increase" to "change." The fiscal note estimates this adjustment would reduce state revenue by approximately $10 million.

Maddy summaryHB 357 requires health insurance plans to cover integrative cancer treatments like acupuncture, directly affecting cancer patients seeking these services and health insurance issuers. The bill limits coverage for acupuncture treatment during active cancer care to fifteen visits per year, unless additional treatments are recommended by nationally recognized cancer guidelines and the treating physician. It also modifies prior authorization requirements by adding "prior authorization" to the list of coverage conditions. This bill is currently under review by the Committee on Appropriations after passing the Insurance Committee with amendments.