Louisiana Bills

This bill designates Wednesday, April 22, 2026, as Counseling Day at the Louisiana State Capitol to honor the profession. It directly affects the Louisiana Counseling Association by formally commending the organization for its work in promoting mental health services. The resolution acknowledges the essential role counselors play in helping individuals and communities address issues like anxiety, depression, and trauma. No new laws or funding are created; the measure serves purely as a symbolic recognition of the counseling field's contributions.

This bill designates Wednesday, April 15, 2026, as Louisiana Occupational Therapy Association Day at the state capitol. It directly affects the Louisiana Occupational Therapy Association by formally recognizing their work and calling on the public to celebrate their contributions. The resolution highlights the importance of occupational therapists in improving community health and quality of life but does not change any laws or policies. The measure is a ceremonial acknowledgment rather than a legislative action with enforceable requirements.

This bill is a concurrent resolution that expresses the Louisiana Legislature's support for a request to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct a study on how flooded corn fields affect migratory waterfowl. The resolution asks the federal agency to examine how corn flooding influences bird behavior, winter locations, and economic impacts within the Mississippi Flyway. It does not create new laws or regulations but instead formally endorses a research initiative prompted by concerns about declining waterfowl populations in Louisiana. The text references past regulatory changes that allowed more hunting over flooded crops as background context for the study request.

This bill approves Louisiana's Fiscal Year 2027 annual state integrated coastal protection plan, which was developed by the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board. The plan outlines projects and programs to protect, conserve, enhance, and restore the state's coastal areas, including hurricane protection and land management initiatives. By approving the plan, the legislature authorizes its implementation and directs funding to priority projects based on the plan's identified needs. The resolution follows required public hearings and committee reviews, making the plan effective for the upcoming fiscal year.

This bill allows mental health institutions in Louisiana to provide nonemergency medical transportation for their Medicaid patients using their own vehicles or contracted providers. It establishes that these transportation services will be reimbursed through Medicaid at the same rates as standard nonemergency medical transportation, with managed care organizations required to pay at least those rates directly to the institutions. The law specifically limits transportation to trips related to psychiatric services, such as admission, discharge, or travel between the institution and a patient's home, while excluding other medical services like dental or pharmacy visits. Institutions must still follow all existing state and federal safety and operational requirements for vehicles and drivers. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026.

This bill requires Louisiana public schools to allow behavioral health and primary care providers to deliver medically necessary services to students during school hours if a parent or guardian requests them. It mandates that school districts create policies permitting these services without creating barriers, while clarifying that schools are not required to establish or fund such clinics. Key provisions include insurance requirements for providers, criminal background checks for staff, and rules ensuring parents can choose their own providers without school interference. The legislation also establishes that these services do not count as special education evaluations and outlines procedures for scheduling care around academic activities.

HB 91 limits the disclosure of certain criminal history information during criminal trials in Louisiana. It blocks courts from sharing details from FBI criminal databases or Louisiana's own criminal history system when the information relates to witnesses who are criminal justice employees (and whose identities are already protected by law). The bill also prohibits including this excluded information in public court records or sharing it outside the courtroom. This directly affects defendants, witnesses (especially law enforcement personnel), and courts handling criminal cases by restricting access to specific background data. The law aims to balance trial transparency with protecting witness identities in sensitive cases.

HB 934 allows Louisiana residents to legally keep certain native wildlife they capture by hand on their own property, directly affecting households that hunt or collect local animals. It permits up to six animals total per household from specific species (like opossums, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, and whitetail deer), prohibits selling or moving wildlife out of Louisiana, and requires secure enclosures that prevent escape or injury. For deer specifically, enclosures must be at least eight feet high, with minimum sizes of 200 square feet for the first deer and 150 square feet more per additional deer. The bill also bans keeping wildlife in inhumane conditions and explicitly prohibits transferring or selling captured animals.

HB 306 requires domestic violence perpetrators in Louisiana to pay all court costs, attorney fees, enforcement fees, evaluation fees, expert witness fees, and medical/psychological care costs for victims (adults or children) related to the abuse. This applies during the initial phase of domestic abuse cases, before the first hearing. After the initial hearing, standard civil rules apply, and each party covers their own attorney fees. The bill directly affects domestic violence victims (by reducing their financial burden) and perpetrators (by shifting cost responsibility to them).

HB 366 limits court delays in domestic abuse cases by restricting the maximum continuance (postponement) of temporary restraining order hearings to 15 days, unless "good cause" is shown for an extension. This directly affects domestic abuse victims seeking immediate protection through temporary restraining orders. The bill amends Louisiana law to require courts to justify longer delays, preventing indefinite postponements. It focuses on streamlining the process for victims to secure safety orders without unnecessary delays.

HB 264, "Jada's Law," requires police or jail staff to confirm a person arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) is medically sober and has a blood alcohol level at or below the legal limit before releasing them from custody. It mandates securing the arrestee's vehicle (e.g., towing or holding keys) until release and requires notifying rental car companies if the vehicle is rented. The law applies directly to individuals arrested for DWI, law enforcement agencies, and rental dealers. It adds specific procedures for safe release, including requiring a sober licensed driver, rideshare, or public transit for transportation, but does not affect bail eligibility.

HB 752 proposes a constitutional amendment to change how Louisiana's regular legislative sessions are scheduled. It would remove current fixed dates (like March 2nd for even years and April 2nd for odd years) and deadlines (such as 60 legislative days for even years), instead letting the legislature set session timing through joint rule. This directly affects the Louisiana Legislature by giving it authority to determine session start dates, duration, and scheduling rules without constitutional constraints. The amendment also modifies rules for organizational sessions and session extensions, but the core change is shifting session scheduling authority from the constitution to legislative rules. The proposal is currently prefiled and will be submitted to voters in the 2026 election.