2024 Legislative Update

Act 412 Indexes unemployment benefits for unemployed workers for 12 to 20 weeks. Allows for an additional 8 weeks if enrolled in workforce education

Act 195 Allows the use of any fuel in agriculture and landscape machinery and fishery equipment

Act 716 Provides no additional teacher instruction requirement unless it is offset by the elimination of another instructional requirement. 

Act 585 Provides the state will not discriminate against institution conducting transaction with firearms dealers 

Act 728 Creates the crime of residential contractor fraud and provides for penalties.

Insurance 

Act 3 Streamlines homeowner's insurance claims giving more time to resolve disputes 

Act 8 Extends fortified roof program 

Act 9 Phases out state's three-year rule barring insurers from dropping policies 

Act 10 Allows insurers to increase rates without Insurance Dept. approval

Workforce/Commerce

Act 283 Increases survivor benefits for dependent children of firefighters & law enforcement 

Act 308 Prohibits Dept. of Children and Family Services from waiving work requirements for those receiving food stamps 

 Act 617 Eliminates mandatory lunch breaks for teenage employees

Act 412 Reduces unemployment benefits for unemployed workers from 26 to 20 weeks

Act 70 Requires airports to accept cash for consumer items such as food/drink

Act 632 Expands use of broadband funding 

Act 568 Provides reciprocity for specified occupational licenses

Education

Act 211 Requires computer science for graduation 

Act 247 Prohibits the graduation appeals process for public schools 

Act 868 Repeals teaching of certain topics until reviewed by BESE

Act 324 Provides behavioral health intervention programs for public schools

Act 337 Lowers the age for mandatory disruption of school operations by parents expulsion for guns/drugs to 13

Act 674 Prevents COVID-19 vaccines from being mandated by public/private schools 

Act 676 Requires display of Ten Commandments in public schools 

Act 364 Streamlines approval process for charter schools with corporate partners 

Act 539 Requires school boards & municipalities of a certain size to broadcast meetings

Act 680 Mandates use of pronouns only as provided on students' birth certificate 

Act 681 Prohibits teachers from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity 

Act 649 Expands the Steve Carter literacy program to include math tutoring 

Act 650 Requires annual numeracy screenings for students in grades K-3 

Act 688 Allows schools to hire chaplains 

Act 436 Limits transgender students to bathrooms that align with their gender at birth 

Act 633 Broadens eligibility for the MJ Foster Promise Program to formerly incarcerated students and lowers the eligibility age from 21 to 17  

Act 635 Eliminates mandatory ACT testing for non-college track students 

Act 476 Provides penalties for unlawful disruption of school operation by parents

Act 790 Offers flexibility in setting tuition rates at colleges/universities 

Act 313 Requires students store cell phones while at school 

Act 1 Allows education funding to follow students to the school of their choice using Education Savings Accounts beginning in 2025. 

Act 517 Provides for dyslexia screenings for students 

Act 771 Provides for high dosage tutoring for students

Crime 

Act 85 Imposes a 10-40 year sentence for manufacturing and selling fentanyl disguised as a prescription 

Act 142 Creates the crime of unlawful dissemination of an image of another created by artificial intelligence 

Act 246 Creates the crime of coerced abortion by fraud 

Act 259 Makes it a crime to approach within 25 feet of a working police officer if officer orders person to stop 

Act 267 Increases penalties for porch thefts 

Act 318 Authorizes vehicle impounding for drag racing on public roads 

Act 281 Makes booking mugshots public 

Act 678 Makes panhandling on a public street a crime 

Act 276 Allows police to arrest drivers who fail to show valid identification 

Act 651 Allows for castration of sex offenders whose victims were under 13 

Act 586 Increases penalties for human trafficking

Children/Families 

Act 656 Prohibits social media companies from collecting data to target advertising to minors

Act 507 Grants access to records involving child protection to DCFS Ombudsman

Elections/ Voting

Act 279 Prohits an elected official removed from office from filling the vacancy 

Act 291 Bans ranked-choice voting in Louisiana

Act 562 Prohibits a convicted sex offender from serving as an elections commissioner

Act 701 Requires those conducting voter registration drives to notify the Secretary of State

Act 712 Requires witnesses for election documents to be at least 18 years of age

Health Care

Act 408 Provides health insurance coverage for certain postpartum care

Act 607 Creates public/private partnership model for addressing critical shortage of healthcare workers 

Act 739 Creates the appointed position of surgeon general within the Dept. of Health 

Act 752 Regulates consumable THC products and where they can be sold

Act 519 Authorizes legislature to terminate a public health emergency

Motor Vehicles

Act 127 Repeals law doubling fines for speeding on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge 

Act 612 Restricts lawsuits for driving into a crowd illegally blocking a roadway if driver is in eminent danger

Act 696 Requires all motor vehicles offices to accept proof of insurance from other states

Weapons 

Act 37 Allows concealed carry of firearms in restaurants that serve alcohol 

Act 38 Carrying of firearms by qualified law enforcement and retired law enforcement 

Act 63 Limits possession of firearms by felons

Act 413 Increase sentences for felons in possession of a firearm 

Act 58 Creates penalties for illegal carrying or use of a firearm at a parade

Act 585 Prohibits lists of privately owned firearms or owners by any government entity

Act 535 Increases penalties for carrying of a concealed handgun by individuals under the influence of alcohol or a controlled dangerous substance in the French Quarter

Governance

Act 495 Creates public records exemption for the governor's schedule 

Act 618 Creates public records exemption for local economic development projects

Act 491 Allows the governor to appoint chairs to boards & commissions

Act 638 Requires LA residency to request public records from the Governor's Office 

Act 591 Gives governor additional control over Board of Ethics appointments

Courts

Act 539 Expands list of offenses sending juveniles to adult court 

Act 781 Makes non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment/hostile work environmental cases non-binding 

Act 32 Provides interpreters for court proceedings