HB 211 creates Louisiana's "Homelessness Court Program," establishing specialized court divisions to address homelessness through treatment and support instead of incarceration. It directly affects individuals experiencing homelessness charged with misdemeanors or felonies related to public camping or survival needs, requiring courts to screen eligible defendants for the program. Key provisions include mandatory substance abuse and mental health treatment, housing/job assistance partnerships, and a new criminal penalty for "unauthorized camping on public property" (with exceptions for shelter access). The program aims to reduce recidivism, court workloads, and prison overcrowding by integrating health care, housing, and rehabilitation services under judicial supervision.
HB 775 modifies Louisiana law to expand when minors can consent to medical care without parental permission. It allows minors aged 13-17 to consent to treatment for pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, substance misuse, and certain emergencies (like abuse or neglect), while requiring parental access to medical records. The bill also prohibits schools or facilities from providing preventive care to minors without parental consent and shields healthcare providers from liability for following these rules. It repeals prior provisions that permitted broader minor consent or school-based care without parental involvement. This directly affects minors, parents/guardians, healthcare providers, and schools in Louisiana.
HB 181 authorizes the Louisiana Department of Revenue to share state income tax return data with the legislative auditor exclusively to improve Medicaid program integrity. It specifically permits this data sharing to verify Medicaid eligibility accuracy, detect fraud, and comply with existing Medicaid fraud laws. The bill restricts the use of this data to these three purposes only and requires formal agreements between agencies for data sharing. This affects Medicaid program participants and administrators by enabling targeted fraud prevention through cross-agency data access.
HB 199 extends Louisiana's existing ban on new nursing facilities and additional nursing home beds until July 1, 2032, replacing the previous 2027 end date. This moratorium directly affects nursing facility developers, operators seeking to expand capacity, and communities planning new healthcare infrastructure. The bill modifies a specific statute (R.S. 40:2116.1(B)(1)) to set a new termination date, maintaining the current restriction without exceptions. The key change is simply prolonging the existing policy, with no new requirements or funding mechanisms added.
HB 689 requires Louisiana's Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to report within 72 hours when a child enters or leaves foster care custody to the Louisiana Department of Health. This ensures the health department can immediately adjust public assistance benefits for parents if a child is no longer living in their household - such as SNAP (food stamps), WIC, or FITAP benefits - and update Medicaid coverage for the child. The bill directly affects parents receiving benefits and children in foster care by streamlining benefit adjustments based on custody changes. It also mandates fraud investigations if individuals fail to report such changes, ensuring benefits align with current household circumstances.
HB 919 requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) in Louisiana to reimburse pharmacies at least the National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC) plus the state's professional dispensing fee per prescription, with a minimum $12 per prescription. It prohibits PBMs from owning or contracting with pharmacies (including subsidiaries) and mandates annual transparency reports detailing foreign subsidiaries and financial arrangements with drug manufacturers. PBMs violating these rules face fines up to $100,000 per violation for executives, with unlimited liability for large PBMs ($500M+ revenue). The law applies retroactively to prescriptions filled between January 1, 2025, and December 1, 2025, and becomes fully effective for new requirements in 2027. These provisions directly affect pharmacies, pharmacists, and PBMs operating in Louisiana.
