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The Louisiana Legislature adjourned its 2023 regular session on June 8, with a number of bills passing or failing in the final minutes of the session. The following are a few of the high-profile bills that have been closely watched by the citizens of Louisiana.
WHAT PASSED:
- Life in prison for dealing fentanyl: House Bill 90 aims to impose life imprisonment for fentanyl dealers, ranging from five to 40 years for dealing up to 28 grams and potentially life imprisonment for dealing 250 grams or more.
- ‘Don’t say gay’ bill: House Bill 466 prohibits discussions on gender and sexual identity in K-12 school classrooms.
- Ban on gender-affirming care for minors: House Bill 648 bans gender-affirming care for minors.
- Construction and infrastructure: House Bill 2 outlined construction and infrastructure projects for the next year.
- Foreign land ownership ban: House Bill 537 prohibits the Chinese government and its citizens from purchasing land in Louisiana. This bill passed after Republicans introduced amendments to address concerns raised by Chinese Americans who opposed the bill.
- Age verification for social media: Senate Bill 162 aims to regulate minors’ social media use by potentially requiring age verification on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, starting next year. The bill draws inspiration from a controversial law enacted in Utah.
Bills listed that have passed still require Gov. John Bel Edwards’ signature to become law.
WHAT FAILED:
- ‘Constitutional carry’: House Bill 131, which aimed to eliminate permitting requirements for carrying concealed firearms, failed in a Senate committee. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Danny McCormick, chose to table it rather than accept what he perceived as unfriendly amendments, such as mandatory safety courses for handgun purchasers.
- Pay raises for teachers: Proposed pay raises for teachers and support staff were changed to one-time stipends in the final minutes of the session.
- Healthcare budget: $100 million was cut from the Louisiana Department of Health’s budget. It is unclear at this time where those cuts will be made.
- Abortion ban clarifications: Several bills that aimed to add exceptions to Louisiana’s strict abortion ban for rape or incest victims, as well as bills addressing how miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are treated under the ban, failed. Consequently, the existing strict abortion laws in Louisiana remain unchanged.
- Abolishing the death penalty: House Bill 228 failed to advance in a House committee.
- Raising the minimum wage: House Bill 374, proposing an increase to $10 per hour starting in 2024, was voted down by the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee.
- Making youth court records public: House Bill 321 sought to make certain juvenile court records public.
- Hemp industry: House Speaker Clay Schexnayder abandoned his effort to modify regulations governing the hemp industry due to pushback from colleagues.