HB 283, the "Teacher's Shield Act," requires immediate suspension of students accused of assaulting or battering school employees (including teachers, substitutes, bus operators, or volunteers) on or off school property. If found guilty by a court or school hearing, students face mandatory expulsion for at least two full school semesters, with placement in an alternative school and required anger management, and cannot return to the school where the incident occurred. The bill also expands sick leave for school employees to cover medical, psychological, and rehabilitation treatment following such incidents. These changes aim to protect school staff and establish clear disciplinary consequences for student violence against employees.
HB 819 updates Louisiana's workers' compensation medical treatment guidelines by adopting evidence-based Official Disability Guidelines (ODG) as the standard for non-covered treatments. It directly affects injured workers, employers, and healthcare providers by requiring all medical treatments not listed in the official schedule to follow strict, current evidence-based criteria. Key provisions mandate that such treatments must rely on comprehensive medical literature reviews, address potential biases, use the most recent guidelines (within five years), and align with interdisciplinary standards. The bill repeals outdated sections to streamline the process, ensuring treatments are scientifically supported and cost-effective for workers' compensation cases.
HB 209 establishes a phased increase to Louisiana's state minimum wage, starting at $10 per hour on January 1, 2027, rising to $12 per hour on January 1, 2029, and reaching $14 per hour on January 1, 2031. It requires all employers to pay these rates for hours worked, automatically adjusts the wage if the federal minimum exceeds it, and allows employees to sue for unpaid wages plus attorney fees and court costs. The bill excludes tipped employees, agricultural workers (per federal law), and student employees from coverage. Employers violating the law must pay the difference between what was paid and the required wage, and court clerks must report violations monthly to Louisiana Works, which will publish annual reports on violators to lawmakers.
HB 293 amends Louisiana's employment discrimination law to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. It adds these categories to existing protected characteristics (like race, religion, and sex) in hiring, firing, compensation, and workplace conditions. The bill defines "gender identity" as a person's internal sense of gender regardless of assigned sex at birth, and "sexual orientation" as heterosexuality, homosexuality, or bisexuality. This law directly affects employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and insurers across Louisiana by making it unlawful to discriminate against employees or applicants based on these newly protected traits.
This constitutional amendment (HB 581) would allow Louisiana's legislature to provide supplemental pay to probation and parole officers employed by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. It directly affects sworn, commissioned law enforcement officers working in those specific roles within the department. The amendment requires voter approval in the November 2026 election, and if approved, would take effect on July 1, 2027, enabling future legislative action to fund this supplemental pay. The change modifies the state constitution to explicitly permit such supplemental compensation beyond standard pay plans.
HB 205 increases pay for Louisiana election day workers, directly affecting commissioners who serve at polling places. It sets new compensation rates: $350 for a commissioner-in-charge, $345 for those managing multiple precincts, $100 for certified commissioners, $230 for others with certification, and $35 for uncertified staff. The bill also allows an additional $100 per day during emergencies declared by the governor, upon parish board request. The changes take effect January 1, 2027, and apply to all election day work and required training.
SB 230 proposes a constitutional amendment to establish a state livable wage in Louisiana, requiring most employers to pay $10.25 per hour starting January 1, 2027, with annual inflation adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index. It directly affects most private employers, excluding small businesses with under $300,000 in annual gross receipts (adjusted yearly), workers under 16, family-owned businesses, and tipped workers whose combined tips and wages meet the full rate. The bill mandates automatic annual wage increases tied to inflation and allows limited exemptions for disabled workers through special licenses. The amendment must be approved by voters in the November 2026 election to take effect. (Bill: SB 230, "Constitutional amendment to establish a state livable wage")
SB 328, the "Louisiana Living Donor Paid Leave Protection Act," requires Louisiana state employers to provide up to 30 working days of paid leave for full-time employees (with at least 12 months of service) who donate organs like kidneys, livers, or bone marrow. Private employers must offer up to 30 days of unpaid leave for organ donation, with the option to provide paid leave and claim a 25% tax credit for the first 30 days of paid salary. The bill prohibits employers from firing, demoting, or discriminating against employees who take this leave and mandates physician verification for leave requests. This law applies to living organ donors (including bone marrow donors) and ensures leave is in addition to other existing benefits like medical or vacation time.
SB 143 requires Louisiana's Department of Public Safety to provide bulletproof vests to all "peace officers" (full-time state, municipal, sheriff, or public agency employees whose duties include enforcing laws and making arrests) upon request. It creates a dedicated "Special Protective Equipment Fund" to finance the vests, funded annually by $8.5 million from the state general fund starting July 2026, plus donations or grants. The bill mandates vests meet U.S. Department of Justice standards and must be wholly manufactured in countries part of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This law directly affects all eligible law enforcement personnel by ensuring access to standardized protective gear through state-funded provisions.
HB 390 requires employers with 50+ Louisiana employees to provide up to three unpaid workdays per year for domestic abuse survivors. It allows leave for medical care, counseling, relocation, shelter services, or legal actions related to abuse. Employers may request documentation like court orders or appointment confirmations but cannot retaliate against employees using this leave. The bill directly affects domestic abuse survivors working for qualifying employers and prohibits discrimination for taking protected leave.
