SB 255 requires Medicaid-funded behavioral health providers in Louisiana to ensure staff delivering psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) services hold at least a bachelor's degree in specific fields like counseling, social work, or psychology. This affects all licensed providers seeking Medicaid reimbursement for PSR services. The bill mandates these educational qualifications as a condition for continued reimbursement, updating existing Medicaid eligibility rules. The measure is pending legislative review and would not take effect until enacted.
SB 253 prevents Louisiana's professional licensing boards from banning healthcare providers with prescriptive authority from prescribing peptides shipped from FDA-registered 503B facilities or FDA-registered compounding pharmacies. It directly affects doctors and other licensed prescribers who currently use such peptide sources. The bill requires providers to verify that prescribed peptides are not on the FDA's prohibited compounding list. This law aims to remove regulatory barriers for access to specific peptide treatments while ensuring compliance with federal FDA guidelines.
SB 314 allows certified social workers in Louisiana who have provided community psychiatric support and treatment (CPST) services for three years to extend their certification for that specific role. It applies to workers who meet all master's-level social work licensure requirements except for one specific provision (R.S. 37:2707(A)(3)), enabling them to petition for an extension to continue CPST work. The bill specifically includes a provision to renew certifications that expired in 2025, allowing affected workers to apply for the extension. This is a procedural change to certification rules, not a new service or funding measure.
HB 676 prohibits paying or receiving money for referring patients to substance abuse, mental health, or substance use disorder treatment facilities, defining this practice as "body brokering." It bans kickbacks tied to referral volume, treatment duration, or service type, but allows fixed payments unrelated to these factors. Violators face up to 5 years in prison, $50,000 fines, license suspension, or civil penalties. The law directly affects health care providers, facilities, and entities involved in patient referrals for substance use disorder treatment.
HB 486 enacts Louisiana's participation in the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (PSYPACT), allowing psychologists licensed in Louisiana to provide telepsychology services (via video or phone) and temporary in-person care (up to 30 days per year) in other participating states without obtaining additional licenses. The bill establishes a $50 fee for Louisiana-licensed psychologists using the compact and requires states to share information on licensure and disciplinary actions to protect public safety. It defines key terms like "home state" (Louisiana for the psychologist) and "distant state" (the state where temporary care occurs), while ensuring the compact does not apply to permanent in-person practice. This aims to increase access to psychological services across state lines while maintaining regulatory oversight through shared information and commission oversight.
HB 301 creates the "Independent Contractor Voluntary Portable Benefits Act," allowing independent contractors in Louisiana to establish portable benefit accounts. These accounts, owned by the contractor and not tied to any specific employer, can be funded through voluntary contributions from hiring parties (like companies) or the contractors themselves, with clear opt-in and opt-out requirements. Key provisions include allowing contributions for health insurance, retirement, disability, and other benefits, while explicitly stating these contributions cannot be used to determine employment status or create employer liability under state labor laws. The bill directly affects independent contractors by providing a mechanism to access portable benefits across multiple clients.
This Louisiana legislative resolution directs the state Surgeon General and the Department of Health to evaluate whether fenbendazole or similar drugs could be used to treat cancer. The bill asks these health officials to determine if it is feasible to move such treatments toward human use and to seek guidance from federal agencies for a faster review process. All proposed actions must include safeguards to ensure public health remains protected during any potential advancement of these therapies. The measure focuses specifically on assessing the scientific viability and regulatory pathways for these substances rather than mandating their immediate adoption.
This resolution asks the Louisiana Departments of Health and Education to share de-identified student vision screening data from 2018 to the present with independent researchers. The requested information includes details such as the year of screening, grade level, visual acuity results, and demographic categories to help analyze long-term trends in student eye health. While the bill does not change existing laws or require immediate action, it seeks to facilitate studies that could inform future decisions about student well-being and educational practices. If the agencies agree to provide the data, researchers will conduct the analysis and report their findings back to the legislature.
This bill updates the architectural design standards that hospitals in Louisiana must follow when applying for licensure. It requires hospital plans to comply with the most recent edition of the Facility Guidelines Institute standards, which are updated every four years rather than being stuck at the 2014 version. The change ensures that the state uses current building guidelines when reviewing hospital construction and renovation projects. This amendment directly affects hospital administrators, architects, and the Louisiana Department of Health, which oversees hospital licensing. The bill is a procedural update to administrative rules rather than a new policy initiative.
This bill asks the state legislative auditor to create a detailed report on how opioid settlement funds have been spent in Louisiana. The report will be sent to health and welfare committees by December 2026 and will cover how much money parishes and sheriff's offices received, what they spent it on, and any challenges they faced using the funds. It aims to provide transparency on the use of approximately $600 million in settlement money designated for opioid abatement efforts. The request for information includes specific details about expenditures, legal classifications for spending, performance outcomes, and administrative costs. This action does not change existing laws but seeks to gather data to help improve how local governments access and use these funds.
