SB 376: SECONDARY EDUCATION: Provides for the Learn and Earn Act. (gov sig) (EN INCREASE LF EX See Note) - Louisiana

Senate Floor Bureau Note, #1561, Mizell, Adopted → SB376 Act · 9 edits

MAJOR

The Senate floor amendment added a specific case citation (Board of Directors of Indus. Development Bd. of City of Gonzales, Louisiana, Inc. v. All Tax Payers, 938 So.2d 11) to define the 'Cabela's test' that career practicums must satisfy under cooperative endeavor agreements. The enrolled act then presents the full bill as passed, which establishes a new Chapter 47 of Title 17 (R.S. 17:4201-4212) creating the legal framework for compensated, credit-bearing work-based learning programs on public high school campuses operated by private business partners.

REQUIREMENT

The floor amendment inserted the specific case citation for the Cabela's test (938 So.2d 11), making it clear that cooperative endeavor agreements must demonstrate a valid public purpose, an enforceable nongratuitous obligation, and a reasonable expectation of value equal to or greater than public assets provided.

Cooperative endeavor agreements must include a declaration of public purpose, enforceable obligations, fair market value inventory and schedule, reciprocity schedule, annual recertification, liability insurance naming the school board and state as additional insureds, indemnification, and compliance with student data privacy and child labor laws.

SCOPE

The enrolled act enacts the full 'Learn and Earn Act' (R.S. 17:4201-4212), authorizing local school boards to establish career practicums on public high school campuses operated by private business partners under cooperative endeavor agreements.

Charter schools are explicitly required to comply with career practicum rules (added as exception number 92 to R.S. 17:3996(B)), and charter school governing authorities may authorize practicums on their campuses subject to their charter contracts.

DEFINITION

New definitions established for 'business partner,' 'career practicum' (a limited-scope educational franchise operation), 'fair market value,' 'instructional scope,' 'student participant,' and 'hazardous occupation.'

FISCAL

Funds provided to school boards as reciprocity must be deposited into a restricted Career Practicum Fund usable only for work-based learning, instructional equipment, or related educational purposes.

ELIGIBILITY

Student participants must earn academic credit per BESE rules, receive wages at or above minimum wage, be employees of the business partner for wage and workers' compensation purposes, receive safety training, and are barred from hazardous occupations prohibited for minors.

ENFORCEMENT

Business partner employees with direct unsupervised student interaction must pass the same criminal background checks as school employees. BESE is granted rulemaking authority but may not waive or narrow statutory requirements for instructional scope, fair market value, reciprocity, or student protections.

TIMELINE

Existing on-campus business operations lawfully operating before the effective date may continue if they serve an educational purpose and comply with Article VII Section 14 of the Louisiana Constitution, but must be fully compliant with all provisions of the new chapter by the 2029-2030 school year.

SB376 Original → Senate Floor Bureau Note, #1561, Mizell, Adopted · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was amended to correct a legal citation regarding the 'Cabela's test' used to ensure public partnerships are fair. The change removes a specific reference to a case involving 'Indus. Development Bd.' and replaces it with a generic citation to the Gonzales case, clarifying that the legal standard applies generally without naming a specific developer.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on establishing career practicums in public schools, but the legal framework for approving these partnerships was refined to avoid potential conflicts of interest or confusion arising from naming a specific business entity in the statute.

REQUIREMENT

Replaced a specific case citation involving 'Indus. Development Bd.' with a generic citation to the 'All Tax Payers' case to ensure the legal standard applies broadly to all potential business partners.

SB376 Enrolled → SB376 Original · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from an enrolled version to an original draft and significantly shortened. The text was reduced from 12 pages to 1 page, removing the full legal text of the new laws and replacing it with a summary of the bill's purpose. The list of sponsoring legislators was also removed.

Scope change

The scope of the document changed from a complete legislative text to a brief summary; the actual legal provisions and definitions were removed.

TECHNICAL

Removed the full text of the new laws, including detailed definitions, operational requirements, and legislative findings.

Removed the list of all sponsoring Senators and Representatives.

Changed the document header from 'ENROLLED' to 'ORIGINAL' and adjusted page counts.

SB376 Reengrossed → SB376 Enrolled · 3 edits · May 7, 2026

MINOR

The bill was finalized as an Enrolled version, adding Representatives to the list of sponsors and updating the statutory citations to include the correct subsection for charter school exemptions. The substantive policy language regarding career practicums and cooperative endeavors remains consistent with the previous Reengrossed version.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; it continues to authorize career practicums in public high schools and update charter school exemptions.

TECHNICAL

Added Representatives to the list of bill sponsors, reflecting the final legislative agreement.

Updated the citation for charter school exemptions from R.S. 3996(92) to R.S. 3996(B)(92) to correct the statutory reference.

Corrected the page count in the header from 12 pages to 8 pages.

SB376 Engrossed → SB376 Reengrossed · 4 edits · May 6, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was reengrossed to add multiple new sponsors and update the legislative findings to include new statutory exemptions for charter schools. The primary substantive change is the addition of R.S. 3996(92) to the list of laws governing the program, which grants charter schools specific exemptions from public school mandates while participating in career practicums.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include charter schools as participants in the career practicum program, granting them exemptions from certain state laws that apply to traditional public schools.

ELIGIBILITY

Added R.S. 3996(92) to the list of statutes governing the program, establishing a legal basis for charter school participation.

Added a new provision exempting charter schools from statutory mandates applicable to public schools, with exceptions for laws specifically required by their approved charters.

SCOPE

Updated the list of bill sponsors to include five additional legislators (Boudreaux, Carter, Cathey, Cloud, Connick, Edmonds, Hodges, Jackson-Andrews, Lambert, Miller, Morris, Selders, Stine, Wheat, and Womack).

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title and act summary to reflect the inclusion of the new statutory reference and charter school provisions.

SECONDARY EDUCATION: Provides for the Learn and Earn Act. (gov sig) (EN INCREASE LF EX See Note)

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