Regular legislative session through Apr. 7, 2024

Bill filing ceased this week, so with an avalanche of last-minute entries there are quite a few more to add to the lists. Also, HB 416 was removed as a bad bill after amendment into a benign form.

THE GOOD: HB 813 by Rep. Kathy Edmonston would increase the ability of doctors to prescribe medicine; HB 822 by Rep. Peter Egan gives recipients of donated blood more control over the process; HB 850 by Rep. Mike Johnson would aid owners in the removal of squatters (similar bills: HB 895, SB 448, SB 466, SB 470); HB 893 by Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn would mandate buffer zones around solar farms; HB 894 by Rep. Edmond Jordan would protect ammunition manufacturers from liability; HB 902 by Rep. Michael Melerine would protect government employee pension funds (similar bill: HB 909); HB 906 by Rep. Mark Wright would update campaign finance laws; HB 907 by Rep. Larry Bagley would bring some rationality to state museum governance; HB 908 by Rep. Beryl Amedee would prohibit discrimination in education based upon vaccination status; HB 919 by Rep. Emily Chevernet would prohibit organizations that use public resources to collect dues from using dues for political activity; HB 933 by Rep. Mike Bayham gets rid of licensing people who sell flowers; HB 935 by Rep. Zee Zeringue would remove the option of commercial vehicles that require inspection under federal law to do so under state law; HB 946 by Rep. Jay Galle would clarify removal of library board of control members; HB  952 by Rep. Dustin Miller closes the hemp use loophole; HB 956 by Rep. Raymond Crews strengthens employee protections in collective bargaining; HB 959 by Rep. Daryl Deshotel gets ride of much occupational licensing; SB 436 by Sen. Mike Fesi would clarify that noncitizens cannot register to vote (similar bill: SB 449); SB 446 by Sen. Mark Abraham would reduce toll burdens over the Calcasieu River; SB 486 by Sen. Alan Seabaugh would prohibit preferential or discriminatory treatment of persons by race, color, ethnicity, national origin, or sex on college campuses.

THE BAD: HB 931 by Rep. Tehmi Chaisson would weaken educational standards (similar bill: HB 945); SB 426 by Sen. Sam Jenkins would create unneeded extra costs for local education agencies; SB 430 by Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews would limit capital punishment options; SB 479 by Sen. Royce Duplessis would create needless and duplicative bureaucracy.

Regular legislative session through Mar. 30, 2024

Bills continue to be filed, for a few days more, or substituted:

THE GOOD: HB 774 by Rep. Danny McCormick would compensate mineral owner assets from expropriation actions (similar bill: HB 783); HB 775 by Rep. Neil Riser would increase restrictions of the Second Amendment by local governments; HB 794 by Rep. Foy Gadberry would require a good faith effort to rank and contract with the most qualified architectural and engineering firms for state and local government; HB 800 by Rep. Beau Beaullieu would call a limited constitutional convention; SB 420 by Sen. Valarie Hodges would increase election security; SB 422 by Sen. Mike Fesi would bring some rationality to state museum governance.

THE BAD: HB 768 by Rep. Les Farnum would weaken government transparency; SB 419 by Sen. Kirk Talbot would decrease safety at sporting events and in the Vieux Carré.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 8 passed the House; HB 46 passed House committee; HB 114 passed House committee; HB 344 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 476 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 506 with major amendment passed the House; HB 581 passed the House; HB 716 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 194 passed Senate committee; SB 208 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 214 passed the Senate; SB 218 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 226 passed the Senate; SB 295 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 316 was reported favorably; SB 323 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 331 passed Senate committee; SB 350 passed Senate committee; SB 355 with major amendment passed Senate committee; SB 370 passed the Senate; SB 377 passed the Senate; SB 388 with minor amendment passed Senate committee.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 245 was deferred involuntarily; SB 153 passed the Senate; SB 255 passed the Senate.

SCORECARD:
Total number of bills, House: 810; total number of bills, Senate: 423.

Total number of good bills, House: 68; total number of good bills, Senate: 44.

 

Total number of bad bills, House: 39; total number of bad bills, Senate: 14.

 

Total House good bills heard in House committee: 19; total Senate good bills heard in Senate committee: 23.

 

Total House bad bills heard in House committee: 6; total Senate bad bills heard in Senate committee: 6.

 

Total House good bills approved by House committee: 16; total Senate good bills passed by Senate committee: 18.

 

Total House bad bills approved by House committee: 0; total Senate bad bills passed by Senate committee: 3.

 

Total House good bills approved by House: 7; total Senate good bills approved by Senate: 9.

 

Total House bad bills approved by House: 0; total Senate bad bills approved by Senate: 3.

 

Total House good bills heard in Senate committee: 0; total Senate good bills heard in House committee: 0.

 

Total House bad bills heard in Senate committee: 0; total Senate bad bills heard in House committee: 0.

 

Total House good bills approved by Senate committee: 0; total Senate good bills approved by House committee: 0.

 

Total House bad bills approved by Senate committee: 0; total Senate bad bills approved by House committee: 0.

 

Total House good bills approved by Senate: 0; total Senate good bills approved by House: 0.

 

Total House bad bills approved by Senate: 0; total Senate bad bills approved by House: 0.

 

Total House good bills going to governor: 0; total Senate good bills going to governor: 0.

 

Total House bad bills going to governor: 0; total Senate bad bills going to governor: 0.

 

Total House good bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0; total Senate good bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0.

Total House bad bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0; total Senate bad bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0.

Regular legislative session through Mar. 23, 2024

Bills keep coming in and being processed, while HB 64 was removed form the list of bad bills.

THE GOOD: HB 737 by Rep. Kellee Dickerson would allow free expression without harassment of individuals at their residences; HB 745 by Rep. Julie Emerson would create universal school choice; HB 763 by Rep. Beau Beaullieu would provide oversight of election officials; SB 388 by Sen. Valarie Hodges would make criminal alien entry into the state; SB 391 by Sen. Gary Carter would strengthen freedoms to use the state’s waters;

THE BAD: HB 740 by Rep. Denise Marcelle would weaken campaign finance ethics laws; HB 743 by Rep. Barbara Carpenter would reduce deterrence of serious criminal acts; HB 747 by Rep. Robby Carter would induce a costly and needless pay raise for judges; HB 750 by Rep. Aimee Freeman would reduce the crime deterrence effect of firearms.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 8 passed House committee; HB 25 passed House committee and with minor amendment passed the House; HB 90 was reported by substitute with HB 763; HB 114 passed House committee; HB 162 passed House committee and the House; HB 267 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 336 with minor amendment passed House committee and with minor amendment passed the House; HB 341 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 407 passed House committee; HB 506 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 581 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 611 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 79 passed Senate committee; SB 101 passed the Senate; SB 155 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 208 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 214 passed Senate committee; SB 226 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 295 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 313 with major amendment passed Senate committee; SB 323 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 370 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 377 with minor amendment passed Senate committee.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: SB 30 passed the Senate.

SCORECARD:

Total number of bills, House: 763; total number of bills, Senate: 395.

 

Total number of good bills, House: 63; total number of good bills, Senate: 42.

 

Total number of bad bills, House: 39; total number of bad bills, Senate: 13.

 

Total House good bills heard in House committee: 14; total Senate good bills heard in Senate committee: 13.

 

Total House bad bills heard in House committee: 0; total Senate bad bills heard in Senate committee: 3.

 

Total House good bills approved by House committee: 12; total Senate good bills passed by Senate committee: 12.

 

Total House bad bills approved by House committee: 0; total Senate bad bills passed by Senate committee: 2.

 

Total House good bills approved by House: 3; total Senate good bills approved by Senate: 2.

 

Total House bad bills approved by House: 0; total Senate bad bills approved by Senate: 1.

 

Total House good bills heard in Senate committee: 0; total Senate good bills heard in House committee: 0.

 

Total House bad bills heard in Senate committee: 0; total Senate bad bills heard in House committee: 0.

 

Total House good bills approved by Senate committee: 0; total Senate good bills approved by House committee: 0.

 

Total House bad bills approved by Senate committee: 0; total Senate bad bills approved by House committee: 0.

 

Total House good bills approved by Senate: 0; total Senate good bills approved by House: 0.

 

Total House bad bills approved by Senate: 0; total Senate bad bills approved by House: 0.

 

Total House good bills going to governor: 0; total Senate good bills going to governor: 0.

 

Total House bad bills going to governor: 0; total Senate bad bills going to governor: 0.

 

Total House good bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0; total Senate good bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0.

Total House bad bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0; total Senate bad bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0.

Regular legislative session through Mar. 16, 2024

Bills still are coming in, as they will be through Apr. 2:

THE GOOD: HB 721 by Rep. Lauren Ventrella would allow educators to conceal carry firearms at schools; HB 723 by Rep. Laurie Schlegel would clarify clemency procedures and transparency; HB 733 by Rep. Mike Bayham would set a realistic bail schedule; SB 377 by Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter would clamp down on felons’ abilities to possess weapons.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: SB 101 passed Senate committee; SB 155 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 218 with minor amendment passed Senate committee.

Good, Bad, and Ugly Bills for the 2024 Regular Session

Welcome to the Louisiana Legislature Log, 2024 Regular Session edition. It’s the fourth gathering already this year, with the organizational session, the two short extraordinary sessions that featured almost all good bills, and now this one. Let’s see what good, bad, and ugly we have.