Maddy summarySB 43 establishes Louisiana's Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Program within the Department of Health to fund clinical studies using psychedelic medications (like psilocybin) for treating opioid use disorders, co-occurring substance use disorders, and treatment-resistant mental health conditions. The program requires academic health centers to meet strict federal and state compliance standards - including FDA approval, safety protocols, and therapist qualifications - to conduct these studies. Eligible patients, including those with the specified conditions, may participate, and parishes can use opioid settlement funds to enroll residents. The bill mandates annual progress reports from participating centers and requires coordination with other states conducting similar research. This is a research-focused program, not a policy allowing general therapeutic use.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 166 removes Vermilion Parish from the Acadiana Regional Juvenile Justice District, which currently includes nine parishes in south-central Louisiana. This change affects Vermilion Parish residents, who will no longer be part of the regional juvenile justice system, and eliminates two specific commissioner roles tied to Vermilion Parish on the district's board. The bill amends the district's territorial definition (removing Vermilion from the list of included parishes) and repeals provisions requiring Vermilion to appoint a commissioner. These changes take effect upon the governor's signature or legislative approval, ending Vermilion's participation in the regional juvenile justice governance structure.
Maddy summarySB 237 requires schools in Louisiana to immediately report allegations of physical or sexual abuse against school employees to the state Department of Education. It creates a database tracking these reports and mandates schools check this database before hiring new employees to identify potential patterns of abuse. The bill also requires the Department of Children and Family Services to notify the state child ombudsman within three business days of child abuse or neglect fatalities or near-fatalities, including specific details like prior department involvement. Additionally, it directs the child ombudsman to notify legislators within 24 hours of any child death linked to abuse or neglect investigations. These provisions directly affect schools, school employees, child welfare agencies, and state legislators.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the text of a Senate resolution regarding the removal of judges for serious offenses like malfeasance or incompetence. The changes involve correcting a spelling error in the word "canons" and adding the preposition "of" to clarify the reference to United States laws. These adjustments do not alter the substantive policy or the process for addressing judicial misconduct but ensure the legislative document is accurate. The bill is currently in the final stages of passage after being referred to a committee and amended.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Uniform Construction Code and related inspector licensing regulations in Louisiana. The specific changes involve correcting a capitalization error for the word "commission" and clarifying that the referenced Bureau belongs to the state of Louisiana. These adjustments refine existing administrative language without altering the core requirements for building inspections or code enforcement. The legislation was passed by the House with a unanimous vote and is now moving to the Senate for further consideration.
Maddy summarySB 42 amends Louisiana law to explicitly prohibit using artificial intelligence to create child sexual abuse materials, directly affecting individuals or entities generating such content through AI. The bill updates definitions to include "digitally generated, including by artificial intelligence" under "child sexual abuse materials" and expands "produce" to cover causing AI-generated content. It makes it illegal to create, distribute, or solicit child sexual abuse materials using AI tools, aligning with existing prohibitions on physical or non-AI generated materials. The law applies to all such content involving children under 17, treating AI-generated depictions as equally prohibited as traditional media. This is a substantive policy change adding AI to existing legal frameworks without altering enforcement mechanisms.
Maddy summaryHB 401 designates the elevated section of U.S. Highway 190 over the Bogue Falaya River in Covington, St. Tammany Parish, as the "Corporal Justin D. McLeese Memorial Bridge" to honor a military corporal. The bill requires the Louisiana Department of Transportation to install signage reflecting this name, using local or private funds to cover costs up to $2,250 per sign. This is a ceremonial naming bill with no substantive policy changes, solely commemorating an individual through a public infrastructure designation.
Maddy summaryHB 210 makes the ethics provisions in Act No. 492 (2024) apply both to future cases and to past cases decided before this bill's effective date. It specifically states that these ethics rules will be applied retroactively, except for cases where the Board of Ethics or Ethics Adjudicatory Board has already issued a final decision before the bill takes effect. This bill directly affects public officials and ethics cases currently under review or pending before the Ethics Boards. The key mechanism is clarifying the retroactive application of Act No. 492's ethics code while excluding finalized cases from this change.
Maddy summaryHB 638 requires owners to pay contractors for commercial construction work within 35 days of a written request, and contractors to pay subcontractors and suppliers within 7 days of receiving owner funds. It imposes daily penalties of 1.5% for late payments (capped at 15% total), plus interest at 1.5% per day and attorney fees for nonpayment. The law applies to construction on non-residential property, excluding residential projects, and allows affected parties to sue for unpaid amounts. Key provisions include mandatory proportional payments based on work completed and nullifying any waivers of these requirements.
Maddy summaryHB 429 adds theft or unauthorized entry of oil and gas facilities - including drilling, production, transportation, and storage equipment - as a specific act that qualifies as terrorism under Louisiana law. It directly affects individuals who steal or trespass at these facilities by making such acts punishable as terrorism, not just theft. The bill defines "critical infrastructure" to explicitly include oil and gas operations and sets a minimum 20-year prison sentence for terrorism convictions involving these facilities. This amendment changes the legal classification of such crimes, increasing penalties for offenses previously treated as theft.