Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews

Maddy summarySB 45 exempts certain veterans and their spouses from paying sales and use taxes on motor vehicle purchases. It also provides an exemption for these individuals from the vehicle registration and license tax. An amendment clarifies that this tax exemption extends to military honor personalized or special prestige license plates. These provisions are set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySR 50 is a commemorative resolution that officially recognizes Monday, April 28, 2025, as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Day at the Louisiana State Capitol. This resolution celebrates the contributions and achievements of Louisiana's eight HBCUs.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution commends Pastor James Johnson for his extraordinary life of service and leadership, recognizing his over thirty-five years as a pastor at New Light Baptist Church in Monroe, Louisiana, and his broader contributions as an educator and community leader.

Maddy summarySB 110 clarifies Louisiana's insurance regulations to align with federal law, specifically the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). It updates definitions of "health insurance issuer" across multiple statutes to explicitly exclude employee benefit plans already covered by ERISA, which takes precedence over state law. The bill ensures Louisiana's insurance rules apply only to plans not preempted by federal ERISA, preventing conflicting state and federal oversight. This affects health insurance companies and plans that would otherwise fall under federal ERISA jurisdiction. The changes are technical, removing references to ERISA-preempted plans from state definitions without creating new requirements.

Maddy summarySB 114 amends Louisiana's Civil Code to change how prescription periods (the time limits for filing lawsuits) are calculated. It states that if the final day of a prescription period falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the deadline automatically extends to the next business day. This directly affects individuals and businesses involved in civil cases, such as personal injury claims or contract disputes, where timing is critical. The change ensures parties aren't unfairly penalized for deadlines falling on non-business days.

Maddy summarySB 219 establishes the Educational Compensation Fund in Louisiana to dedicate specific tax revenues (from R.S. 47:302 and 321) for supplemental payments to public elementary and secondary school employees. It directly affects teachers and licensed staff (certificated personnel), who will receive a $2,000 annual supplement, and non-licensed staff (noncertificated personnel), who will receive $1,000, plus associated employer retirement contributions. Payments must be distributed by school districts no later than December 15 each year, and funds are protected from governor-imposed budget reductions. The fund becomes effective July 1, 2025, with monies invested like the general fund and interest credited back to the fund.

Maddy summarySB 173 sets reimbursement rates that Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) must pay to pharmacies for medications. It directly affects pharmacies receiving payments from PBMs and requires PBMs to follow these specified rates. The bill includes an exemption, stating the Office of Group Benefits is not subject to these rate requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 5 requires Louisiana public school systems to use savings from the Teachers' Retirement System to provide permanent salary increases for teachers and other school employees starting in the 2025-2026 school year. Certificated staff, such as teachers and administrators, must receive at least a $2,000 raise, while non-certificated staff, including aides and clerical workers, must receive at least $1,000. The bill mandates that these salary increases include associated retirement costs and applies to employees on specific leaves, such as military or maternity leave, provided they remain in their approved positions. If a school district does not have enough savings to cover the full amount of these raises, the remaining cost is to be funded through the state's minimum foundation program formula. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that charter schools participating in the state retirement system must also comply with these salary increase requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new economic development district specifically for the Shreveport I-20 area to support local growth. It establishes a formal structure to coordinate business and community efforts within that geographic boundary. The legislation does not allocate specific funding or mandate particular programs but sets up the administrative framework for future initiatives.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends existing laws regarding pharmaceutical reimbursements to apply only to contracted pharmacists or pharmacies that do not own more than five shares or a five percent interest in a pharmaceutical wholesale group purchasing organization or vendor. The key provision restricts the scope of the reimbursement rules to ensure they target independent pharmacies rather than those with significant ownership stakes in drug supply chains. By adding this specific limitation, the legislation clarifies which entities must comply with the current reimbursement requirements without changing the underlying financial mechanisms.