Sen. Ed Price

Maddy summarySB 221 amends Louisiana's massage therapy licensing laws to affect licensed therapists and massage establishments. Key provisions include requiring annual license renewals with proof of continuing education, mandating state/federal background checks for certain licensees (prior to April 2022 and August 2025), and prohibiting massage establishments from being used as residential housing unless zoned for it. The bill also adds board authority to adopt rules preventing fraud, abuse, or human trafficking related to the industry. These changes aim to strengthen licensing oversight and safety standards within the massage therapy profession.

Maddy summarySB 26 requires the Louisiana Department of Health to create and provide type 1 diabetes informational materials to the state Department of Education. These materials, which include descriptions of type 1 diabetes, risk factors, warning signs, and recommendations for blood autoantibody screening, must be distributed by school boards to parents and legal guardians of prekindergarten through secondary students at enrollment and annually. The bill mandates that schools share this information via website posting or electronic distribution, focusing on early detection and treatment guidance. It directly affects Louisiana public school students, their families, and school boards by standardizing diabetes awareness in educational settings. The legislation does not fund treatment or alter healthcare access but aims to inform families about critical diabetes indicators.

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 684 restricts the use of seclusion and physical restraint for students with disabilities in schools, requiring staff to first implement behavioral interventions. The bill clarifies that such interventions must address the student's behavior before restraint is considered, with a minor technical amendment correcting wording from "Behavior" to "Behavioral" in the text. This is a procedural adjustment with no new costs or policy changes, as noted by "EN NO IMPACT," and it directly affects school staff and students with disabilities in public education settings. The bill passed the House unanimously (99-0) and is now pending in the Senate.

Maddy summaryHB 126 modifies how Louisiana calculates state funding for parish councils on aging, increasing the minimum annual appropriation by $3.5 million to the Office of Elderly Affairs. This change directly affects local parish councils that provide services for seniors, ensuring they receive a higher guaranteed minimum funding level each year. The bill updates the funding formula to reflect this increased baseline amount, which must be included in the state budget. The policy change is a concrete financial adjustment to support aging services programs across Louisiana parishes.

Maddy summaryHB 19 is a procedural amendment to clarify the administrative structure of the Firefighters' Retirement System's Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP). It corrects a technical reference in the bill text by changing "Subpart" to "Chapter" on page 2, line 27. This adjustment ensures consistent terminology in the legislation but does not alter any retirement benefits, eligibility rules, or financial obligations for firefighters. The bill affects how the plan is documented within the retirement system's framework, not the actual participation or administration of the DROP program.

Maddy summaryHCR 44 is a non-binding resolution urging the Louisiana State University School of Public Health to reconsider its recommended age for routine breast cancer screening. It does not change any current guidelines or mandate action; it simply asks the school to review its recommendations. The resolution is currently pending floor debate after passing committee review, but it has no legal effect on healthcare policies or patient care. This type of resolution expresses legislative opinion but does not alter medical practices.

Maddy summarySR 208 is a Louisiana Senate resolution expressing heartfelt condolences for the passing of Oscar Earl Carter III, recognizing his 35-year leadership as executive director of the Dr. O.E. Carter, Jr. Memorial Foundation (a nationally accredited opioid treatment center in New Orleans) and his service as a legislative aide for Senator Joe Bouie. The resolution commemorates his life of compassion, community advocacy, and dedication to underserved populations through his work with organizations like VERTCART, Inc. and the Knights of St. Peter Claver. It was unanimously adopted by the Senate on June 12, 2025, and transmitted to his family. As a commemorative resolution, it has no binding policy impact but formally honors his legacy.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SR 184) urges the Louisiana Supreme Court to amend its continuing legal education (CLE) rules to allow licensed legislative staff attorneys to earn eight hours of CLE credit annually, similar to what legislators and certain legislative clerks currently receive. It directly affects full-time legislative staff attorneys who perform year-round legal work drafting bills, conducting research, and advising lawmakers. The bill cites that these attorneys conduct critical legal work central to the legislative process but are excluded from the existing CLE credit exemption under Supreme Court rules. The resolution requests the Court take action to align the credit policy with the current exemption for legislators and chief clerks. This is a procedural request, not a binding law, and does not change the Court's existing rules.

Maddy summarySR 209 is a resolution requesting the Louisiana Department of Health to study the effects of banning pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning pharmacies. It directs the department to analyze how such a prohibition would impact costs for health plans, patient access to medications (including specialty drugs), employment in the pharmacy sector, and other key areas like Medicare network adequacy. The study must produce a report by March 2026, covering eight specific points including cost estimates, employment changes, and access to limited-distribution medications. This resolution does not change current law but seeks factual analysis to inform future legislative decisions on vertical integration in healthcare.