Labor & Employment

SB 157 would require Louisiana public school districts to provide eligible educators with six weeks (240 hours) of paid parental leave at 100% of base pay for qualifying events like birth, adoption, foster placement, or pregnancy loss. This applies to full- or part-time school employees with at least one year of service, covering both parents who are eligible. Schools must adopt written policies, provide advance notice to employees about their rights, and prohibit counting this leave as an absence that could lead to disciplinary action. The bill does not override existing better benefits in union contracts or other laws but mandates this new standard for public school employees.

HB 286 repeals existing Louisiana law (R.S. 33:7728) governing the St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement District. The bill removes the district's independent authority to control its own spending, prohibits it from extending services beyond its defined boundaries, and ends its ability to cover certain employee health insurance claims. These changes directly affect the St. Tammany Mosquito Abatement District by altering its operational powers and financial management. The bill does not create new services or funding but modifies the district's legal framework.

HB 537 repeals the statutory creation of Louisiana's Workers' Compensation Advisory Council. The bill eliminates a 17-member body that previously monitored workers' compensation administration, made recommendations to the legislature, and reviewed proposed rules. This council included representatives from labor, business, medical associations, attorneys, and the public. The repeal removes this advisory structure without replacing it, directly affecting the council's members and the process for gathering their input on workers' compensation policies. The bill does not change workers' compensation rules or benefits.

HB 31 allows Louisiana municipalities with populations under 5,000 to permanently exit the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System. To terminate participation, a city must pass a resolution, provide 30 days' written notice to the retirement system and new hires, and stop enrolling future employees. Existing police employees hired before the termination date remain covered under the system, but new hires after the effective date will not be enrolled. The termination becomes effective 60 days after the governing authority adopts the resolution.